Trouble at Devils Lake
by KayValo87
Summary: Caught between a fight with his family and the school's biggest jerk, 14 year old Sam is just trying to make it through the week ... but when an unexpected danger arises where will the young hunter turn? Limp/Hurt!Sam
1. Chapter 1

_(To the tune of "Happy Birthday")_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME_

_I AM TWENTY-THREE_

_I'M WRITING A STORY_

_OF WHAT I WANT TO READ_

I decided there is no reason I can't write a birthday fanfic for myself, so here you go. I hope you like it as much as I do. :)

A special thanks to sammygirl1963 and monkeymuse for your help on this chapter. You two are awesome. :)

**DISCLAIMER:** They are mine. Really! I bought them and had them in my basement ... until my dad reminded me not to leave my DVDs where the babies could get them. (Too bad the real show is not for sale.)

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The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another. -Quentin Crisp

**Chapter 1: Words of Anger**

Sam jerked awake to his backpack being dropped on his bed.

"Dad?" He rubbed his eyes to get a better look at the blurry image in front of him. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving." John stated. "Get your stuff together, I want to be on the road in an hour."

Dean nodded and quickly started to pack up anything that wasn't already in his bag, but Sam just sat there dumbstruck. Leaving? It had taken them two weeks to identify the ghost who was offing people in the woods, and almost another week to find where he was buried. Three weeks in the same tiny town, but Sam didn't mind. The hunt wasn't dangerous enough that their Dad had to go at it solo, so the last three weeks they were just like a normal family … or at least, a normal family that cleans rifles at the dinner table, has sparing matches in the living room, and spends their evenings scouring graveyards for hundred year old crazies. At least they were all under one roof and ate their meals together, Sam couldn't really expect much more then that, but he would have at least liked a heads up before they were uprooted again. He had made commitments to people, promises he intended to keep.

"Sam, get a move on." Dean said, throwing a t-shirt at his head.

"We can't leave NOW!" Sam half shouted.

His family froze and turned towards him. His brother's face was a mix of confusion and shock, while John's was carefully controlled … which usually was a bad sign.

"And why not?" He demanded, his tone confirming Sam's suspicions.

Knowing he was risking his father's wrath, Sam threw off the blankets to face him.

"Today is the second biggest game of the season, Dad. I CAN'T let Willy and the guys down."

He heard Dean groan, but kept his eyes on John. The man's face remained calm, but his eyes told a story of annoyance and anger.

"A game?" John said, his temper evident in his voice. "People are dying and you don't want to help because of a GAME?"

"It's not that I don't want to help, Dad. Can't we wait just a few more hours? Just until after the game?"

John's expression gave his answer even before he opened his mouth.

"No, now get your stuff and get in the car."

As if to emphasize his point, John turned away from Sam, gathering his journal and other books from the table. Anger and disappointment filled him and he turned to Dean for help, but his older brother just looked away. Big surprise. Dean had wanted to leave since he learned Miami Bay, Oregon is NOTHING like Miami Beach, Florida. Two thirds of the time it was raining and the temperature didn't exceed 50 degrees, but what else can you expect from the NW coast? It was February for crying out loud! But that didn't stop his brother from sulking at the lack of bikini clad women. Dean was probably thrilled to be hitting the road again, but Sam had things he had to do here … not that what he wanted was ever important.

"But Dad, what about Willy?" Sam tried again, getting an exasperated look from Dean.

"Willy will be fine without you."

"But I promised I would be there."

"Then you shouldn't have made a promise you couldn't keep." John snapped. "Now you just wasted ten minutes. Get your stuff in the car."

"Or what?" Sam challenged. "You'll leave me behind?"

He almost wished his Dad would leave him behind, just this once. He loved Oregon and the Lopez family would be happy to let him stay with them for a while, Willy had already offered to have him stay the night several times. But it wasn't like he wanted to stay away from his family forever, but this hunt had been the closest he had to a normal family life in a very long time. He just wanted it to last a little longer. But there was no way his dad would let him, not even for the few hours if would take for him to play in the game.

"We are leaving in fifty minutes." John's stated firmly.

Seeing that negotiating was about as effective as beating his head into a brick wall, Sam silently gathered his things as quickly as he could before hurrying down the street to Willy's house.

He found him in the yard, juggling his soccer ball. The sun gleamed off his royal blue uniform, reflecting off the number two on his back. Sam hadn't got a uniform yet, but was supposed to have one for the championship in a next week.

"Hey Sam." He said brightly.

Willy kicked the ball over to Sam who bounced it from his chest to his knee, juggled it for a minute, before sending it back to his friend.

"You ready for the game?"

Sam awkwardly stared at his shuffling feet, trying to figure out how he would tell his friend that he was about to let down their whole team.

"What?" Willy asked, letting the ball drop to the ground.

"I'm moving." Sam mumbled.

"Dude, that sucks." Willy groaned. "So you won't be around for the big game?"

"I won't be around for THIS game."

His brown eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped to his chest.

"B-but … but it's a RIVALRY game!" He exclaimed, running a hand through his short dark hair. "And you're the best we have, we can't win without you!"

"You'll be great without me." Sam said attempting to smile.

The two stood there silently, avoiding eye contact.

"When are you leaving?"

Sam opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by the sound of a very familiar engine.

"Sam!" John barked from the driver's seat.

"Right now." Sam mumbled, heading to the car.

Climbing into the back seat, he waved goodbye to Willy, knowing he would probably never see him again. Willy stood there in shock for a second before returning his wave just as the Impala pulled away.

"I said we were leaving," John scolded, glaring through the review mirror, "that doesn't mean run off and fool around."

"I was just saying goodbye!" Sam shot back. "It's called being a good friend."

His dad focused on the road and Sam just watched the town go past, feeling his heart sink with every house that they left behind.

"So, where are we going, Dad?" Dean asked after ten minutes or so.

"North Dakota." John answered.

Sam heard the map shuffle and sank deeper into the seat. He knew Dean would back up their dad, but it still hurt that they were acting like he wasn't even there.

"Are we taking I-94 and I-90?" Dean questioned.

"No, US-2."

"Won't that take longer?"

"Yeah, but Caleb called." John explained. "He's in Whitefish and needs my help with something, shouldn't take more than an hour or two."

"Figures." Sam snorted.

"What was that?" John asked, his eyes flashing in the review mirror.

Dean glanced over the seat, silently telling him to just keep his mouth shut, but after seeing the look on Willy's face when they pulled away, Sam was too mad to care about consequences.

"Well, it's just that when MY friends need me, it's not important, but when YOUR friends need you-"

"D^%& it Sam, I'm getting tired of your attitude!" John snapped. "Now I don't want to hear another word out of you. Understand?"

Sam gave him a dark glare before pushing himself even deeper into the seat and focusing his attention on his last look at Oregon's forests. If he didn't want to hear another word, fine. Sam wouldn't say another word.

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I hope you liked part one, I know it hasn't REALLY got into the plot yet, but every story needs a set up. :)

Let me know what you think and I'll get the next part up as soon as I can.


	2. Chapter 2

Just a friendly reminder, I do not swear but my characters do. To get around it, I go the way of cartoons and comics, replacing the letters with symbols. Sorry if it's confusing, but I have posted over around a hundred chapters this way and it seems to work for me.

Anyway, here is the next part, enjoy ...

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Chapter 2**

Dean scanned through the hundred year old volume looking for all the usual suspects. Glancing over, he saw his brother was still hidden behind a giant book about the Oregon coast. He loved Sam to death and beyond, but sometimes the kids just had to learn to suck it up. Of course it didn't help that as soon as their Dad dropped them off at the library with instructions to get research done, he told Sam he wasn't helping with this job. Just what he needed, to be pulled away from a place he loved so he could do absolutely nothing. It was freaking delightful. The most disturbing part was the fact Sam didn't even ask why, he just slumped his shoulders and walked into the library, heading straight for the travel section. Dean was ready to negotiate on his behalf, until he found out about the thing's MO. No way he was letting Sam anywhere near the lake much less the thing that got it's kicks drowning kids.

Trying to focus on his work, Dean noticed that his growing pile of books had pushed the newspapers out of his reach until they were resting next to his brother.

"Sam," Dean kicked the corner of his chair, "hand me those papers, would you?"

The teenager lowered the book just enough to glare before tossing the stack over and retreating once again. Dean sighed and flipped through the articles. He hated road tripping with a mime, but this seemed to be happening more and more. For some reason his brother felt the need to question each of his dad's decisions while John had no intention of explaining himself. At least when Sam was giving them the silent treatment no one was yelling.

Dean had just found the right page when his cell phone started vibrating in his pocket.

"I'll be right back, Sammy." He said to his non-responsive kid brother. "Don't go anywhere."

The instruction had only been half joking. He knew he could come pack in three hours and Sam would still be in the same chair pining away for that rain soaked corner of the country, but the big brother streak in him had him scanning the area for dangers before he stepped outside. The worse they had ever run into at the library was a librarian who had been scolding children since Hitler invaded Poland, but that didn't mean he was okay letting Sam out of his sight for very long. Once he was away from prying ears, Dean flipped out his phone.

"Hello?"

"Dean, how's the research coming?"

"Slow, the articles don't give a lot of details. How's Caleb?"

"We got done early, so I'll be there to get you in five."

"Sure thing." Dean said, ending the call.

He had thought briefly about reminding John that Sam had yet to utter a single word, but decided against it. The only thing it would do is spotlight his sibling's behavior and no one needed that right now. Dean understood what it was like to enjoy someplace. H*%&, a lot of places that they went Dean liked. Such as that summer he'd spent in Lakeland, Georgia with a super hot blond … mmm … good times. But, no matter how much he like a place, they had a job to do. He hated it sometimes, but that was their life. Of course the worse moves were the ones were Sammy had made friends. Those times, he couldn't even look at his brother. Dean knew that had to leave, maybe even wanted to himself, but that hurt look that came into Sam's eyes every time he had to say goodbye … it killed him to have to watch it over and over again.

"Sam." Dean grabbed his coat from the table. "Let's get out of here."

Closing his book, Sam set it on the table a got up. Dean briefly caught a glimpse of the pain and anger mixing in his eyes before looking away. He wished there was a way he could fix this, a way to make his little brother smile again, but knew his hands were tied until after the hunt. The hunt Sammy couldn't even help with. Not that he wasn't in complete agreement with his dad on that one, but seeing the way Sam's shoulders drooped, Dean knew he had to try something.

"Cheer up, Sammy," He said as brightly as he could without sounding like a cheerleader, "you'll make friends at your next school."

The boy looked up at him with tears in his eyes and Dean mentally kicked himself. Not only did he sound insensitive, but he just reminded Sam of what he lost. Some big brother HE turned out to be. But before he got a chance to say anything else, the Impala pulled up to the curb. Giving Sam an apologetic look, he led the way to the car. This was going to be a VERY long drive.

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Sorry for this chapter being so short, but I had only a small window to work with to make it fit with the next part of the story. You see, originally the first chapter was over 2,000 words long, so I split it in two and wrote this to go between them. On the bright side, that means the next chapter is just about ready to post. (I just have a few finishing touches to add.)

Let me know what you think and I'll get the next one up VERY soon. However I am also working on two other stories today that I hope will both be updated ("Learning Curve" and "Luck O' the Winchester") so it might not be immediate.


	3. Chapter 3

Now back to Sammy ...

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Chapter 3**

Sam stared out the window, counting the trees that they passed. Seven in the last two hours, a far cry from the Oregon coast. Man, he missed that place. Since his dad had to help Caleb they were forced to drive through northern Montana, also known as the most boring rout in history. Nothing but pasture land as far as the eye could see, marked only by the occasional house or tree.

"How long until we get to the lake?" Dean's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Check the map." John replied, not taking his eyes off the highway.

Dean sighed and rummaged through the glove compartment, but didn't say his findings out loud. Sam didn't really care, anyplace away from Oregon was too far for him, though he found it interesting that his Dad was so eager to bring them to a place called "Devils Lake".

"Hey Sam," Dean turned to drape his arm over the back of the front seat, "maybe after we get this thing, we can head south to see Bobby. He probably has book you haven't read yet. What do ya say?"

He knew his brother was just trying to patch things up after the blow up between him and their dad the day before, but Sam was determined to stay mad at John and maintained the silent treatment he had started when they left Garibaldi; one day, three hours, and twelve minutes ago. That had to be a record.

"Come on, Sammy," Dean groaned, "you HAVE to talk SOMETIME."

Sam just glared at him and turned back to the window. Two more trees, that makes nine all together.

"Leave him alone, Dean." John instructed. "If he wants to act like a baby, let him."

He could almost feel himself turn red, both from anger and embarrassment. He wanted to scream at his dad for saying that, especially in front of Dean. He was fourteen years old for Pete's sake! And he wasn't acting like a baby, all he wanted was a little warning before being pulled out of one town and dragged to another. Was that too much to ask? Seeing the way his family acted, it seemed like it was.

It was dark by the time they reached their hotel. Sam grabbed his backpack off the seat and silently followed his brother into the room their dad booked for them.

"Settle in." John ordered from the door. "I'll be back with dinner."

"Sure thing Dad." Dean called back.

Sam went to the bed farthest from the door and pushed his backpack underneath it before flopping down in front of the TV. What was the point of unpacking if they were just going to get uprooted again anyway. He had spent about thirty seconds watching an infomercial about a home gym when Dean grabbed the remote and switched the TV off.

"Dude!" Sam exclaimed, not caring that he broke his vow of silence. "What'd you do that for!"

"Seriously, this Harry Hard-knock thing has got to stop." Dean stated firmly. "Your life is NOT that bad."

"No," Sam argued, "YOUR life is not that bad."

"We have the same life Sam." Dean said, rolling his eyes.

"No we don't!"

Sam jumped to his feet, glaring up at his brother. Dean may be a foot taller than him, but he was not about to back down.

"YOU get to do what you want. YOU get to help Dad out with hunts. YOU are trusted."

"Dad trusts you." Dean shot back.

"Yeah," Sam scoffed, "To wait in the car while you two take care of me. I am FOURTEEN Dean! I'm old enough to hang out with my friends, I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I'm d^%& sure old enough to know when we are leaving!"

Sam fell silent, watching the pain and sadness mixing in his brother's eyes, and instantly regretted what he just did. It wasn't Dean's fault that Dad had woken them up with instructions to pack the car. It wasn't Dean's fault that John didn't trust him enough to let him help with anything bigger then a textbook hunt. But what does he do with his anger? He hurts the one person who was always there for him.

"Dean, I-"

"I'm gonna take a shower." Dean's voice was void of emotion. "Finish unpacking."

Before Sam could make another sound, Dean grabbed his bag and disappeared into the bathroom.

After another night of silence, Sam went to bed early, only to wake up to the same tension that had filled the too small hotel room when he fell asleep. He couldn't leave for school fast enough. Dean had earned his GED while they were in Oregon, a full eight months AFTER he should have graduated, so he was the only one starting school this time. It was weird starting without his big brother at his side, but after the last couple of days there was no way Dean would even want to check him in, much less walk him there. No, this time he was on his own. He was just reaching for the door when it suddenly swung open, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh!" A girl shrieked. "I am so sorry."

Before he knew it two sets of hands had hauled him to him feet. He found himself looking up at a skinny boy with brown hair standing next to a cute girl with curly red hair and wide blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked.

Were they kidding? He had gotten hit harder than that by Dean.

"I'm fine." Sam mumbled.

"You new here?"

And so it begins, Sam thought with a sigh.

"Yeah."

"I'm Lizzy," the girl gave him a sparkling smile, "and this is Luke."

"Sam." He said shaking their outstretched hands.

"It's nice to meet you Sam." Lizzy said sweetly. "If you need any help finding your way around town just ask. Luke is amazing with directions."

The taller boy shyly looked at the ground, just before the door opened again, knocking him forward. He would have face planted, if Sam hadn't caught him.

"You okay?" Sam asked, while the gangly boy found his footing.

"Uh … yeah." Luke answered, his gray eyes narrowing when he saw who was in the doorway.

"Hey Lizzy." A sandy haired guy in a Letterman jacket smiled, leaning against the open door.

"Grow up, Tim." She rolled her eyes and went over to check on Luke. "You okay?"

Luke opened his mouth, but Tim stepped between them.

"So the Sadie Hawkins dance is coming up, but I don't have a date yet."

"Statistically speaking, you have a pretty good chance of being asked by at least half of the cheerleaders." Luke commented.

Lizzy giggled and Sam smiled, but Tim just gave him a dark look.

"Don't you have a Star Trek convention to go to?" He growled.

"Don't you have a manners class to go to?" Sam interjected. "Or did it conflict with your anger management meeting?"

Lizzy stared at him while Luke stifled a laugh. Tim however gave him a menacing glare, clenching his fists as he stepped forward.

"You little-"

The bell blocked out the rest of the jock's threat, but Sam got the jest of it. This was just what he needed. Not only did he have to deal with massive tension at home, now a steroids junky wanted to kill him at school. Could his life get any worse?

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Set up complete. What do you think? (Again, sorry it took so long.)

I'll get the next part up asap ... as soon as I write it anyway. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, I forgot to include chapter titles for the last two parts. Chapter 2 is "On the Road" and 3 is "New Kid ... Again"

Sorry about that, enjoy part 4 ...

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Chapter 4: Questions and Answers**

Dean rubbed his eyes, attempting to ward off a headache. They had narrowed down their suspect list to a handful of creatures, but until they knew for sure there was no way to stop it. To make matters worse, he was having a hard time concentrating on his work, Sam's words echoing in his head.

"_-I'm old enough to take care of myself-"_

It had always been Dean's job to take care of his little brother, ever since their mom died. Had Sam grown up so much that he didn't need him anymore?

"Dean?"

He looked up at his dad, wondering if John had said something and he missed it.

"What?"

"Focus on the job." John instructed, making a few noted in his journal.

Dean took a deep breath and pulled over a newspaper tat reported on the first drowning. Issac Greene, a thirteen year old kid with shaggy brown hair … who looked disturbingly like another kid with shaggy brown hair.

"Dean."

He could hear the annoyance in his dad's tone, but his eyes showed understanding.

"Sam is going to be fine." John stated. "He's not going anywhere near the lake, so there is no way the thing can get to him."

"Right." Dean let out a humorless laugh, knowing the hunt was only half of what was going on here.

"Dean?"

It was amazing how his name could go from a question to a statement to and order so quickly. But should he just do the classic Winchester thing and brush it off, or deal with the problem they had been ignoring since they left Oregon? Knowing he wouldn't be able to work any other way, Dean slid his books away and faced John.

"He's not speaking to us."

"He's pulled the silent card before, Dean." John sighed, returning to his journal. "He always came out of it on his own before, I don't plan to start giving into his tantrums now."

"Dad, it's been three days." Dean reasoned. "He NEVER held out this long before."

"And in any other situation I would admire his dedication. But Sam is fourteen now, he is old enough to know he can't always get when he wants."

John pushed the newspaper back toward Dean and continued his work, clearly through with the conversation.

"If he can't get what he wants," Dean muttered under his breath, "why'd you let him join the soccer team in the first place?"

Dean jumped when John slammed his pen down on the table, giving him a dark glare.

"You want to know why? Because it was safe. That ghost didn't discriminate based on age and you know first hand how hard it was to kill. If Sam was at a soccer field he was far away from danger, and he got some physical training on top of it."

"But when the time came, you wouldn't even let him play."

"He got to play."

"Yeah, in a few games, but you pulled him out right before the big one, the one he had been talking about for TWO WEEKS."

"You think I wanted to?" John snapped. "I had every intention to let him play and leave for the hunt after it was over, but Caleb called and if he didn't get the research done on his hunt someone was going to die, guaranteed. Tell me, how many people died because Sam missed his soccer game?"

Dean fell silent, dropping his gaze to the table. He understood the importance of the hunt, why they did what they did, but not for the first time he wished that Sammy was able to live a better life. That Sam's choices were not decided by which had the lowest body count.

"Look, if we had two cars, I would have been okay with you two staying and meeting me in Montana after the game." John admitted softly. "But the fact is, we don't and I had to make a judgment call. The hunt always comes first."

Dean remembered the look on Sam's the morning they headed out. The hunt may come before a lot of things, but not his little brother. But there was nothing he could do now, except try and make it better next time this happens.

"You could always get another car and leave me the Impala." He offered casually.

"Now why would I do that?" John gave him a knowing smirk.

"In case this happens again." Dean shrugged. "Problem solved."

"And why would I be the one to get the new car and not you?"

Dean paused, knowing something like 'the Impala is my baby' wouldn't cut it in this situation.

"Because that's the way things work." He reasoned. "Man buys car, man buys new car, man gives old car to oldest son. It's the law of nature."

"Uh-huh." John smiled. "I'm pretty sure I have heard of parents buying cars for their kids and keeping their old cars for themselves. Why don't I get you a nice, used, Ford Fairmont?"

"Because you want me to get laid, not picked up by a cougar."

John laughed and turned back to his work.

"We'll talk about it after the hunt."

Dean nodded and picked up one of the newspapers before looked back at his dad.

"About giving me the Impala or getting me a mom-mobile?"

"After the hunt."

Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with farther question, except maybe behind the wheel of a station wagon, Dean turned back to his research hoping that the may actually have a solution for the current problem. He would have to wait until after the hunt to tell Sam, when he had a definite answer, but he knew the kid would be thrilled. He just hoped his brother could last that long.

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Okay, so this chapter was a little nicer, but I just wanted to show John wasn't a monster (so the death threats against him might stop.)

Anyway, let me know how I am doing and I'll get the next part up asap. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so the first person to review to the last chapter ask that I post again same day, and I tried, but stupid homework got in the way. (It is almost 10 minutes after midnight.)

Anyway, I hope if was worth the wait. :)

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Chapter ****5: The Nightmare Begins**

Winchester luck is a real b^%$# sometimes. First he had Attila the algebra teacher, then a hundred year old English professor who spoke so slowly it took almost fifteen minutes for Sam to figure out what book they were reading. Next came the highlight of his day when he found out his foreign language class was Latin. After lunch he had biology, taught by a mad scientist, before heading off to PE. To make his day even better, biology was the only class Tim was NOT in. It was official, the fates were out to get him.

"So, how are you liking the school?" Luke asked, as they changed into their gym clothes.

"It's okay." Sam shrugged.

The taller boy was in his English class, but took Spanish and advanced classes for math and science. Lucky.

"Hey Winchester!" Tim yelled from across the room. "The girls locker room is on the OTHER side of the gym!"

"Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you can tell the difference!" Sam yelled back, not in the mood to deal with the bully.

Based on the reaction from the rest of the boys, not many people stand up to Tim.

"You might want to tone it down a bit." Luke advised, tying his sneakers. "Tim has a lot of friends on the football team."

Sam was just thinking how cliche that was when the coach called them out to line up in the main gym.

"Listen up!" Coach Webster shouted, walking down the line of students "We're going to continue where we left off yesterday."

He stopped in front of Sam and gave him a once over.

"You a new kid?"

Apparently this guy had never learned that you don't need to yell to be heard two feet away, Sam thought bitterly.

"Yes sir."

"What's your name?"

"Sam Winchester."

"Alright!" He looked over the rest of the class. "Who would like to show Winchester what we've been doing?"

"I'll show him, Coach." Tim replied eagerly.

"Fine." Coach Webster turned back to Sam. "Winchester, you're with McBain."

Grudgingly joining his partner, Sam suppressed the urge to groan when he saw their first task was medicine balls.

"Welcome to pain, maggot." Tim sneered, rolling the heavy ball between his hands.

Kill me now.

"Let's just get this over with." Sam muttered.

Tim stood a few feet away and tossed the ball, a little harder then necessary. Sam caught it with a grunt, noticing the grin on the bully's face. Two could play at that game. Tossing it back with equal force, Sam couldn't help but smirk when Tim was forced back a step.

"Your gonna pay for that, midget."

The two tossed the ball back and forth, steadily increasing in force and nearly knocking each other off their feet several times. After several minutes of bombarding each other, Tim looked over his shoulder and grinned. Sam followed his line of sight and a sting of curses ran through his head. Coach Webster was not only on the far side of the gym, but completely focused on a pair of boys who seemed to have tossed there medicine ball hard enough to dent the wall. With no supervision, Tim chucked the ball straight at him. Without much time to react, Sam braced himself, managing to catch the thing without loosing his footing. While the young hunter attempted to catch his breath, all he could hear was the bully's laughter. Regaining his composure, Sam sent the ball back at Tim, matching the force and knocking the jock flat on his back.

"You … little … prick …" Tim gasped, pushing himself to his feet.

A shout from the coach distracted Sam long enough for Tim to tackle him to the ground.

"Nobody takes ME down." Tim growled, busting Sam's nose.

Recovering from the attack, Sam flipped Tim over and sent his own fist right into his smart mouth. He was just pulling back for a second hit when he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and hauled to his feet.

"That's ENOUGH!" Coach Webster shouted, inches from Sam's ear. "I don't know what kind of crap you got away with at your last school, But this ain't happening in MY gym."

He pulled Tim up, still clutching Sam's shirt.

"You two hit the showers. You both have detention to get ready for. Now MOVE."

Sam stumbled slightly when he was released, but he recovered quickly and headed for the locker rooms. Skipping the shower, he went straight to the first bathroom on the way to detention, wanting to avoid another incident.

Checking over the damage in the large mirror, Sam was pleased to see that nothing would be visible by the time he got home. He just had to wipe off the trickle of blood coming from his nose and his family would never know what happened. It wasn't that they wouldn't WANT to know, Sam knew for fact they would, but the more his dad and brother could focus on the hunt the sooner they could get out of this town … also, Dean getting arrested for assault on a minor would definitely cause problems.

Getting himself cleaned up, Sam hurried off to detention, hoping that he wouldn't run into the, hot headed, jock along the way. Reaching the room, and noticing Tim sulking in the corner, he couldn't help but find it interesting that he was kept from hunting so he wouldn't get hurt, when the real threat was walking the halls of his high school.

* * *

And the pain has begun. (For all you Limp/Hurt!Sam fans out there, don't worry, this is only the beginning.)

So, how do you think Dean is gonna react when he finds out about Tim? (As you KNOW he will ... eventually)

Let me know what you think and I'll get the next part up asap. :)


	6. Chapter 6

First off, and I should have said this in the last chapter, I would like to give a special thatnks to monkey muse for helping me put together Sam's school schedule. (You're awesome. :) )

Second, I was surprised at how patient you all were when waiting for this chapter. I tend to take the "take your time" thing seriously and post sooner on stories that people ask for it. Obviously, this gets harder when it is a story that I am working on with my editor, but the birthday fics and "Luck O' the Winchester" are all me ... or at least mostly me ... they aren't edited anyway. (In this case, I am posting soon because I told Monkey I would have a new chapter up by morning.)

I don't mind people asking for sooner posts, or even giving me a window to post in. I enjoy the challenge and do the best I can to meet it. (That and I really don't have much of a life outside of writing. But hey, I'm not complaining. :) I LOVE to write!)

And third, Sammy should have known he can't hide pain from Dean for very long ...

**

* * *

Chapter 6: Big Brother Instincts**

Dean glanced at his watch … again. Where the h*$^ was Sammy? It did NOT take this long to walk home from high school. Just before he was about to 'take a walk', that just happened to pass the school, Sam shuffled through the door.

"Stop and smell the flowers along the way?" Dean asked with a smirk.

No reason for Sam to know how much his tardiness freaked him out, all it would do is make his brother feel guilty … but all the sarcasm got him was a glare as the kid dropped his backpack on his bed.

"Bite me."

Okay, did this mean he was still mad or he just had a rottenfirst day of school? Dean watched him as he shrugged out of his coat and unzipped his backpack. He was moving slower then usual, stiffer. Big brother senses were definitely tingling. Now the problem was, how to get him to talk ...

"So how was school?" He asked casually.

"Fine." Sam mumbled.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and started pulling out his homework like nothing was wrong, but Dean knew him too well. Sam answer was WAY too quick. Whatever was bugging him had to be school related. But was it a rough gym class or a rough student?

"Meet any interesting people?"

Sam became fascinated by his math book.

"Not really."

Dean's eyes narrowed as he put the pieces together. Sam was dealing with a bully and when he got his hands on that-

"Dean." John's voice cut through his thoughts. "Get ready, we leave in an hour."

"Sure thing, Dad."

As he gathered anything he would need for the hunt, he tried to perform a visual assessment of his little brother, without being too obvious about it. There didn't appear to be any markings, as least that he could see. His right hand was a little red, indicating he had hit someone or something. Dean felt a swell of pride, knowing that 'someone' was probably hit pretty hard based on the evidence. Little b%s^a&d deserved it. His subtle check up was interrupted when Sam's phone went off and he turned away to answer it.

"Hello? … Oh, hey Lizzie …"

Dean raised an eyebrow. Lizzie? As in girl? He shot his brother a knowing grin. Maybe Sam's new school wasn't as bad as he had first thought.

"Sure, I can meet you … Sounds great, I'll be there in an hour … Bye."

Sam flipped his phone closed and returned his attention to his math book. A few seconds later, he seemed to realize Dean was still grinning.

"What?"

"No interesting people, eh?"

"Give me a break." Sam rolled his eyes. "She's my biology partner."

"Biology, huh? You two gonna do a little study on human anatomy?" Dean chuckled.

He had only meant to tease him, but the pink tinge to his brother's face told him a different story.

"You ARE!" Dean laughed. "Sammy, you sly dog."

"It's not like that!" Sam growled. "We are meeting at the library. She's just helping me get caught up."

"Sure she is." Dean gave him a wink. "Don't worry Sam, I can cover you with the old man if you're out too late."

"Shut up!" Sam chucked his pencil at him.

Easily dodging the attack, Dean went back to double checking his weapons while Sam shoved his biology homework back into his backpack.

"Is she cute?" Dean questioned, unable to resist.

"One of us HAS to be adopted." Sam mumbled, pushing himself off the bed.

He headed for the bathroom, brushing past John who was carrying some duffel bags out the the car. Their dad stiffened, catching his youngest bar the arm.

"What happened to your shirt?" John demanded.

Dean leaned around to see what he had missed and notice a few drops of dried blood on his brother's collar. Oh, that son of a b*^$# was going down!

"I …" Sam dropped his gaze to the floor. "I had a bloody nose in gym class."

John's eyes narrowed at the obvious cover up, and Dean knew exactly how he felt. Why wouldn't Sam just tell them what was going on? It was freaking Truman High all over again!

"What caused it?"

His dad's tone was firm, but Sam just shook off his grip, glaring up at the older man.

"What does it matter?"

"It matters." John started, a dangerous edge to his voice.

"Three drops isn't exactly life threatening, Dad." Sam shot back. "How many people did you say were dying out at that lake? I mean, that's the most important thing right?"

Ouch, Dean mentally winced. Way to throw his words back at him, bro. He watched John's eyes as the anger, concern, and guilt battled for dominance. But before anyone could say anything, Sam shut himself in the bathroom, the sound of the shower filling the silence he left behind.

"Dean," John said evenly, his face now expressionless, "get your stuff to the car."

He could only nod and the next second found himself alone in the room. Glancing back and forth between the bathroom and front door, he felt a wave of fear and sadness sweep over him. John loved Sam, even if the kid couldn't see it. He was just too d&%^ prideful to explain himself and Sam was too stubborn to ask. If one or both didn't learn to give a little, Dean was afraid that the result would tear his family apart … for good.

* * *

So, they know somethings up, but will they be able to do anything about it with Sam stonewalling them? Will they even figure it out that the reason he DOESN'T tell them is to keep them from getting into trouble? Man, I should have called this story "Miss-communications at Devil's Lake".

Anyway, let me know what you think so far and I will get started on the next one. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Ask and you shall receive. :)

Here you are, as requested by MysteryMadchen and MinKattMossy. Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 7: Making New Friends**

Sam waited until he heard the Impala pull away before he exited the bathroom. It wasn't just that he was still angry at his dad for missing the game and then being banned from the hunt, but in the heat of the argument he had left his bag by his bed. If three drops of blood caused a problem, no way he could show them the colorful, hand sized, bruises that covered his stomach. He really hated medicine balls. Pulling on jeans and a loose sweater, Sam grabbed the spare key and took off towards the library.

He found Lizzie sitting on the steps, looking over a book with Luke.

"Hi Sam." She smiled brightly.

"Um … hi."

Sam gave Luke a confused look. He didn't mind the other kid being there, he just didn't expect it since he wasn't even in Biology. She followed his line of sight and frowned.

"Oh, Luke was already here when I showed up." She explained. "He was just helping me with my math."

"I can leave if you want." Luke offered.

"No, it's cool." Sam shrugged, taking a seat next to them. "So … what first?"

"First we eat." Lizzie stated happily. "What kind of food would you like, Sam?"

For a second he could only blink. It wasn't often he was asked to pick anything. Dean let him more then anyone else, but the was usually when he was trying to cheer him up after a fight or bad hunt.

"Sam?" Lizzie prodded. "You DO know what food you like, right?"

"Yeah … um … maybe sandwiches?"

"You asking me?" Lizzie grinned.

"No." Sam couldn't help but grin back. "Sandwiches."

"Okay." She turned to Luke. "Do your thing."

He paused for a second, closing his eyes in thought.

"There's the Leevers County Market on 5th, they have a deli. Subway is just under a mile from here on US-2 and Quiznos is about the same distance on College Drive South."

Lizzie beamed at him and turned her sparkling eyes back to Sam.

"Isn't he amazing?"

Luke blushed under the praise, concentrating on putting his books into his backpack.

"There are only three of them." He muttered. "It wasn't THAT hard."

"Uh-huh." Lizzie gave him a skeptical look. "How far is the nearest public library?"

"Assuming you don't mean the one we are sitting in front of …" Luke smirked. "About 27 miles."

"See?" Lizzie turned back to Sam. "Amazing."

Thirty minutes later, Sam was sitting under a tree in the town's ONLY park, enjoying a delicious turkey on wheat.

"So, where are you from Sam?" Luke asked, between bites of his Italian sub.

Sam picked at the grass next to them, trying to come up with a better answer then 'everywhere'.

"Sam?" Lizzie frowned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled. "It's just …. my dad travels a lot for his work, so we move around a lot."

"But that could be cool." Lizzie said optimistically, picking a tomato out of her ham sandwich. "I mean, you've probably seem a lot of neat things."

He'd seen a lot, alright … but Sam wasn't sure 'neat' would be the word he would use to describe it.

"What was the last place you lived?"

"The Oregon coast."

"Oooh, that place is beautiful." Lizzie sighed. "My aunt lives near Cannon Beach and we got to visit her last year. Too bad it's always cold."

"Liz, we live in North Dakota." Luke pointed out. "I'm pretty sure Oregon is warmer."

"I meant at the beach." Lizzie playfully smacked his shoulder. "Anyway, the point I was trying to make is traveling is not the end of the world. You get to meet a lot of people, see great places, and maybe when you grow up you could pick your favorite spot and settle down."

Sam scoffed at the thought. No way a house in Oregon, or anywhere else on the west coast, was in the cards for him. Not if his family had anything to say about that.

"So how does your mom feel about moving around?" Luke wondered.

"Don't have one." Sam answered. "Just me, dad, and my brother Dean."

"And Dean likes moving?" Lizzie questioned.

"You kidding? He loves it."

He was the only one who didn't, Sam thought sadly, the one who didn't really fit into their lifestyle. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder and found himself staring into Lizzie's warm blue eyes.

"At least you have a family." She said softly. "That's the most important thing … right?"

He opened his mouth to answer but froze when he heard a stick snap somewhere behind him, instantly going into hunter mode. He jumped to his feet, ready to face whoever was trying to sneak up on them.

"Well well," Tim's cocky voice floated past the trees, "if it isn't beauty and the geeks."

Great, just what he needed, a run in with a human rawhead.

"Leave us alone, Tim." Lizzie spat, as she and Luke got to their feet.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, Lizzie."

Tim stepped through the trees, followed by five more guys, all his size or larger and smiling at the trio.

"We aren't gonna hurt anyone …" Tim's grin widened, "or at least … not you."

* * *

I wonder if Sam will be able to make it out of this one without seting off Dean's big brother senses ... what do you think?

**NOTE:** Another fun fact about me, if people make requests I try to incorporate them. Gotta make my readers happy. :) However, it has to be something that can actually work. MysteryMadchen's request for Sam to go blind or deaf in "Bad Mojo" didn't fit since you can't do that to a doll ... did I mention there is no doll in "Mojo Rising" ... ;)

Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll get started on the next one soon. :)


	8. Chapter 8

So, as you read this chapter I want you to keep one thing in mind ... **Dean is 19 years old**.

Okay, just remember that and enjoy. :)

**

* * *

Chapter 8: A Wandering Mind**

Dean crept through the woods surrounding the lake, keeping an eye out for anything that might be behind the deaths. He and John had split up as soon as they got there and Dean was almost finished with his first area. Of course, he was still having trouble concentrating. All he could think about was that someone was picking on his brother at school, he was sure of that, and whoever the little dick was had hurt him. But Sammy was still mad and refused to tell them what happened. All he needed was a name and he would make sure the punk regretted ever laying a hand on Sam. Then again, maybe that was why Sammy kept his mouth shut. His track record with bullies wasn't exactly something his brother, or most other people for that matter, would call great. Like the three jerks he sent to the ER after they broke Sam's arm, or the big kid who pinned the little guy to a a wall and Dean left crying on the floor. Yup, mistreating Sammy was a cardinal sin as far as he was concerned, but his kid brother had too big a heart to let him beat the crap out of everyone who messed with him. D^%* it. The hum of his phone vibrating brought him back to the present and he cursed himself for loosing focus.

"Hello?"

"You find anything yet?" John's voice asked.

"Nothing yet. You?"

"Same. I'll head your way, then we can check the other shore."

"Okay, I'll meet you half way."

Snapping his phone shut and shoving it in his pocket, Dean turned around and started walking back the way he came.

"Um … excuse me?" A small voice called out to him.

Dean looked over his shoulder and was temporarily stunned by what he saw. Standing, partially hidden behind a bush was a gorgeous woman. She was dripping wet with long black hair that had just a touch of curls. Her large blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight and her soft lips formed a nervous smile. But that wasn't what struck the teenager speechless. From what he could tell, this beauty was stark naked.

"Sorry to bug you," she whispered, "but I was just out skinny dipping and I can't seem to find my clothes. You think you could help me look for them?"

"Um … uh …" Dean stammered.

He wanted nothing more then to help the damsel in distress … but he was kinda in the middle of a hunt with his dad. Let's see, find Dad or help the naked lady … find Dad, help naked lady … Dad, naked lady … sorry Dad.

"Sure." Dean grinned.

"Thank you so much. " She sighed. "I don't know what I wouldn't have done without help."

"No problem."

He noticed how much she was shivering and shrugging off his coat and button up shirt, knowing the flannel would be more comfortable then the denim.

"Do you remember where you were swimming?" he asked, offering her the clothes.

"Not really." She admitted, taking the shirt with a grateful smile and slipping it over her slender frame. "But I'm sure we can find it."

Following the woman to the waterline, the two looked around to see if they could spot the missing clothes.

"I think I remember those rocks." She offered, pointing to a formation on the lake's edge.

Dean nodded and climbed up for a better look. Nothing.

"You sure it was-"

He was cut off when he heard a shout from the trees. Turning around, he saw John running toward him, aiming his gun in their direction.

"Dad, wha-"

Suddenly the air was knocked out of him as the woman side tackled him right into the frigid lake! Dean struggled against her hold, fighting his way to the surface. Breaking through, he sucking in a lung full of air right before being pulled back under. He tried to break free, but her grip was like iron as she dragged him deeper into the dark water. Twisting and pulling, Dean could feel himself weakening. He no longer knew which way was up, where the shore line was, and he knew was the burning in his chest as darkness started to claim him.

* * *

Sorry it's so short, this just seemed like a good place to end it. :)

Also, how did I do one the 19 year old (Dean) mind set?

Let me know what you think and I'll get started on how Sam will deal with HIS problem before I come back to this one.


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, so here is my last post of the night. (As promised in "Learning Curve" chapter 11 and "Down The Rabbit Hole" chapter 3.)

Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 9: The Calvary Arrives**

Sam watched as the six bullies closed in on him, his mind searching for a way out. At least Luke and Lizzie got away. Maybe they would find help, but it wasn't likely. Dinner time on a Tuesday night wasn't exactly the best time to find people out and about. No, Sam was on his own … s#*^.

"Looks to me like we have a little unfinished business, Winchester." Tim sneered.

Sam kept him mouth shut, trying to keep all the boys in sight. He kinda wished he had told Dean what was going on, he could really use some big brother back up right about now.

"What's the matter?" One of the guys taunted. "Scared?"

"You should be." Another laughed.

By now he was completely surrounded, but Winchesters don't back down … not without a fight. When the first of the group lunged at him from the left, Sam easily sidestepped and brought his elbow down in the middle of the teen's back, knocking him to the ground. The second aimed a punch at his head, which he blocked before his own punch caught the guy square in the jaw. The third attacker grabbed him from behind, but let go as soon as the young hunter slammed the back of his head into the boy's nose. The fourth and fifth boys rushed him from either side, but a few well placed kicks and punches knocked them to the ground. This left only Tim who rushed forward with a cry of rage … right into Sam's fist and falling flat on his back.

"That's it, Winchester." He growled, pushing himself to his feet with one hand while the other cradled his eye. "I WAS going to let you walk out of here, but I guess we are going to have to do this the hard way."

Unfortunately, this was about the other attackers had started to recover. In minutes the tide had turned against him and Sam found himself curled up on the ground trying to protected himself from a brutal assault of fists and feet. After a while, the attackers paused and Sam felt himself yanked up by his hair and opened his eyes to see Tim's cocky grin.

"Say goodnight, Winchester." He sneered.

The bully pulled back his fist for a knockout blow, just as something white struck him in the forehead and he fell to the ground. The whole group turned to see, what looked like, four college students carrying baseball equipment.

"Oh, sorry about that." One of the guys said sarcastically. "Sometimes those balls just get away from us."

"Say, you kids aren't causing any trouble here, are you?" One of the larger ones asked, lifting a bat to his shoulder.

"We were just messing around." Tim stammered, climbing to his feet.

"Doesn't look like messing around to me." Another said, tapping his bat in his hand.

"Oh, I don't think these boys want any trouble," the first guy said cooly, "do you?"

"N-no." Tim took a step away from Sam, soon joined by the rest of his gang.

"Then why don't you kids run along home before my friends here loose their tempers," The man continued, "sound good to you?"

Without answering, all six bully raced off into the trees. The fourth guy, stepped forward and help Sam to his feet.

"You okay kid?"

"Yeah … I think so." Sam answered, running through a quick assessment of his injuries.

Cracked ribs, probably. Cuts and bruises, definitely. Split lip, check … crap. No way he could hide THIS from Dean. Noticing the first guy pick up the baseball, something struck him as odd. Why would four guys be playing baseball in the park an hour after sunset?

"Be careful next time, Sam." The guy with the ball said seriously. "The McBains are not used to loosing and will keep coming after you until they feel you have learned that."

Sam stared at him dumb struck. Their sudden appearance was one thing, but …

"How do you know my name?"

The guy laughed and motioned behind him.

"You aren't the only little brother around."

Sam turned to see his friend jogging towards him, and his jaw dropped.

"Brian!"

"Yeah," he panted, "I remembered Kurt and his friends play pick up baseball on Tuesdays before heading to Subway."

"So the twerp ran all the way there to let us know what was going on." The baseball guy finished, sticking out his hand. "Kurt Truman, and these are Jake Loads, Tony Danby, and Austin Porter."

"Kurt is engaged to my big sister." Brian explained. "He and the other guys go to the university down the street."

Sam just nodded, too sore to really do anything else. Kurt seemed to pick up on it and gently wrapped his arm around the teen's shoulders.

"You sure you're okay?" He questioned. "Do you need us to take you to the emergency room?"

Oh H^$% no! Split lip was one thing, doctor visit was a whole different story. If Dean found out this guy not only hit him, but sent him to the ER, Tim was going to be the one needing medical attention. They didn't need that kind of heat, especially this early in the hunt.

"No, I'm fine." Sam forced a smile. "Really."

"At least let us give you a lift home." Jake offered.

He was about to refuse, when Kurt pushed against a particularly sore spot and it was all he could do not to cry out in pain.

"That'd be great." Sam half whispered.

He wasn't crazy about them knowing he was living in a motel, but on the bright side, a ride home WOULD give him time to clean himself up to avoid the worst of the inevitable fireworks. Now all he needed was a good cover story … or a way to stay out of their sight until the hunt was over.

* * *

So, I hope you all liked how the fight went. (Anyone expecting Brian to com through for him?)

Well, I am going to bed now, but I have already started on the next part. (Won't be long now.)

Let me know what you think and I will post again asap. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, so this chapter, and the last one, were both written when I was half awake. (So please excuse any errors.) It's not much of an issue with this one, since Dean's is disoriented most of the time, but I noticed a huge problem my lack of focus caused with the last chapter. I introduced a new character (Brian) with no background. (My bad.) I promise I will explain more about who he is next chapter. Very sorry for any confusion that may have caused ... but maybe that was just for me. (To be honest, when I woke up this morning I didn't even remember making him up and had to come up with new background information while in class.)

Anyway, here is what happened to Dean ...

**

* * *

Chapter 10: A Long Talk**

Dean pressed his face into the sand, bile rising in his throat. Coughing and vomiting, he could feel a hand rubbing circles into his back and hear a soft voice coming from nearby.

"Easy Dean, just breath."

"D-Dad?" He croaked as soon and the coughing subsided.

Too weak to sit up and shaking from the cold, Dean didn't protest when his dad pulled him up against his chest. It took a minute for him to realize they were both sopping wet, but for life of him he couldn't remember why.

"Are you alright?" John asked, rubbing his hands quickly on Dean's numb arms. "Did she hurt you?"

She? The image of a hot naked girl flashed across his mind. Oh … that's what happen.

"N-no … I'm … I'm g-good."

He felt more then heard his dad sigh in relief, right before he was hauled to his feet. Looping Dean's arm over his shoulder, John started to lead him down the path.

"Come on, let's get you out of the cold."

No complaints there, Dean thought to himself. It seemed to take forever to hike back up the trail to where they parked, but soon Dean was wrapped in a blanket on his way back to their hotel. He was just starting to doze off when a slap to the back of his head jerked him awake.

"What the h^%& were you thinking?!"

He blinked at his dad, more confused about why he hit him then what he was saying.

"Well? You gonna just sit there like an idiot or answer the question?"

"Um … what?"

John took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"What were you doing following that thing to the waterline?"

Oh … that. Dean forced his mind to go back to the events that happened right before he took a dip and remembered very well what was going through his head at the time.

"I was helping her find her clothes."

John gave him a brief look of dis belief.

"Her clothes? You went to the place where people were dying, almost got yourself killed, to find her CLOTHES?"

"She said she lost them while she as skinny dipping."

"And you BELIVED that?"

Now Dean was getting as frustrated as John sounded.

"She was naked. She was wet. There was a lake. Why WOULDN'T I believe her?"

"Because this is NORTH DAKOTA … in FEBRUARY."

Dean paused, letting the words sink in. He had to admit, the man had a point.

"I swear Dean," John shook his head, "you better learn how to use your upstairs brain before you get yourself killed."

"Hey, anyone one would have made the same mistake." Dean protested.

"Anyone?" John gave him a skeptical look.

"Well … any teenager would have made the same mistake."

"Your brother wouldn't." John stated firmly.

It was true, Sam would have know better. The kid was smart and focused … but that wasn't the only reason he wouldn't have been fooled.

"Of course HE wouldn't." Dean grumbled. "Sammy's voice hasn't even dropped yet."

"Just because he uses his head to make choices instead of his hormones doesn't make him any less of a teenager then you are."

"Whatever." He yawned.

Not wanting to continue the conversation any farther into Sam's journey to manhood, Dean settled back against the seat, getting as comfortable as he could. If he was lucky, he might be able to get a few minutes of sleep before the got back … but when was he ever lucky?

"At least we know what we are dealing with." John commented.

Dean shot him a puzzled look. How did a naked lady dunking him in the lake tell them what they were hunting?

"You sure, Dad? I mean, there must be a hundred things that can look like woman."

"There are, but only one targets children and lives in a lake." John explained. "We've got a kelpie on our hands."

"Kelpie?"

Dean racked his brain to figure out what that the h^$* a kelpie was, but came up empty.

"It's Celtic," John continued, "also called a water horse."

"Son of a- You mean I got blindsided by my friend Flicka?"

John smirked, but didn't answer. Dean tried to remember all he read about water horses, but it wasn't much more then they were evil and killed people. Look like he was going to need his trust sidekick, geek-boy, after all. But first he was going to have to come up with a very good reason why he looked like a drown rat without freaking the kid out. This was going to be fun.

* * *

So, Dean is half drowned and Sam is beat up ... I can't wait to write this one. ;)

Let me know what you think and I will get the next one up asap.


	11. Chapter 11

A couple things before I get to the chapter.

First off, I did explain who Brian was. (Again, sorry for not giving his background when you met him in chapter 9.)

Secondly, I wrote this chapter between 10:30pm and 12:15am because I couldn't sleep. (So please ignore any typos.) I had no real plan on how it would turn out, so I just wrote how I wanted it to start, then just tried to figure out how they would react from there. I hope it turned out okay.

We'll that's all I have to say here. Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 11: I'm Fine … Really**

Sam hissed in pain as he twisted around, trying to see his back in the mirror. Splotched of color covered his ribs and back and he was sore as h%$^. If Brian hadn't shown up when he did … Sam shook his head in amazement. Sure Brian was in most of his classes, but he was also popular. The star of the school track team and dream date of probably half the girls in his grade, Brian Anderson was at the top of the food-chain. Guys like him almost never talked to Sam, not unless they were trying to suck up to Dean or something like that. The idea that HE would stick up for Sam … it was pretty weird. What was he even doing in the park anyway? He would have to ask Luke and Lizzie about it tomorrow, right now he had bigger problems … such as, how he was going to keep what happened in the park a secret for more then five seconds?

With any luck, his family wouldn't notice the bruises until the hunt was over and the were a few hundred miles away from Tim and his gang … though if he was REALLY lucky, they would not find out at all. Based on the way his torso was now three or four shades of black and blue, a few hundred miles may not be far enough to keep the bullies safe from a raging big brother. Speaking of big brothers, Sam heard the distinct sound of the Impala pulling up. Cursing under his breath, he pulled on a comfortable hoody with a large front pocket. That way, he could hide both his battered body and his busted knuckles. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the bathroom … just in time to see his disheveled brother collapse onto his bed.

"Dean!" He cried, forgetting his pain for the moment. "What happened?"

"Well, the good news is, we know what we're after." Dean mumbled with a sleepy grin. "Bad news is, it's a kelpie."

Kelpie? As in deadly Celtic water horse, kelpie? They were hunting a creature who uses two forms to lure it's victims in before dragging them down to a water grave? The monster few have faced and less have killed, THAT kalpie? No wonder his dad didn't want him on the hunt! But one look at Dean gave him a rush of fear and anger, as he realized what must have happened to his brother.

"She got to you didn't she?" Sam questioned. "She tried to seduce you as a beautiful woman."

"Well it sure as h%$^ wasn't as a horse." He smirked.

But his smile quickly faded as his eyes focusing on Sam. Uh-oh.

"Dude, what happened to you?"

Crap, he had almost forgotten the split lip, not to mention the light bruising on his face. But that wasn't important right now.

"I'm fine." Sam insisted, handing Dean his duffel. "You better get out of those wet clothes before you get sick."

"I'll be fine." Dean stated, dropping the bag on the floor. "Now what the h^$% happened to you?"

"Nothing." Sam insisted, hoping he sounded convincing.

The fact his dad was taking an interest in their conversation told him that he was failing miserably.

"Sam?" John said.

There it was, the classic John Winchester tone. Only he could make something into both a question and an order at the same time. But right now, the bullies were the farthest thing from his mind. Kelpies were extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to kill. Now, more then ever, he needed his family to focus on the hunt … or he might not have a family much longer.

"I'm fine, okay? Just drop it!" He half shouted. "Dean almost died tonight, not me. Could we please just focus on what is important?!"

John stayed silent, his expression blank, but Dean gaped at him in shock.

"Important? You think you getting hurt isn't important?"

"That's not what I meant." Sam groaned.

He knew full well that Dean got concerned about infection if he got a paper-cut, but he needed his big brother to worry about himself for once … before he got himself killed.

"Then what DID you mean, Sammy?" Dean challenged. "I would love to hear it."

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. His head had been aching since on of Tim's goons kicked it, and his body in general was thoroughly spent. On top of that, he REALLY didn't want to fight with Dean.

"It's just …" he stared quietly, "you could have died."

"But I didn't." He said firmly pushing himself off the bed to stand in front of Sam. "I'm fine, it's you I'm worry about. Talk to me dude, what's going on with you?"

The last thing his family needed was to worry about him while he was at school, but Sam wasn't sure how much longer he could pretend everything as okay. Maybe just a few more days. The hunt should be done by then, solving both of their problems. Until then …

"I'm okay … really." Sam said as sincerely as he could.

"You sure?" Dean asked, clearly not buying a word of it.

Sam forced a smile and nodded. Dean shrugged, pating Sam on the shoulder and hitting a bruise. Sam managed to suppress a moan, but the way his brothers eyes narrowed told him that he wasn't quite able to stop from grimacing.

"I'm going to bed." Sam announced quickly, slipping under his blankets.

At least in winter, they would question him sleeping in full sweats … but he had a feeling his little masquerade would soon crumble.

* * *

Okay, so I hope that met up to your expectations. There are DEFINITELY going to be some rough times ahead for the Winchesters ... and Luke ... and Lizzie ... and Tim ... even Brian ... but more one that later. ;)

Let me know what you think and I'll get the next part up asap. :)


	12. Chapter 12

Didn't want to keep you all waiting anymore, so here ya go.

Oh, and a special thanks to monkeymuse for her help on the opening, You rock! :)

**

* * *

Chapter 12: Alcohol And Answers**

Dean sat on his bed watching his brother until he fell asleep. As soon as he was sure the kid was out, he crossed over to the other bed. Enough was enough, Sam was giving him answers whether he liked it or not. Easing back the blankets, Dean started to slowly lift Sam's hoody so he could get a good look at his back.

"You know," John commented quietly, "it sort of worries me that he can sleep through that."

"Yeah, well, try it it sometime." Dean whispered back. "See how quickly YOU wake him.

As if to emphasize his point, Sam stirred slightly, but a single touch to his forehead calmed him instantly. Sam had way too many nightmares to not recognize him in his sleep, a fact that came in handy at times like this. It also made it so Sam didn't wake up to all the muttered curses that came when Dean was able to see why his brother was so sore.

"That f^$&ing son of a b&%^$." He growled. "I'm gonna kill him."

Replacing the sweatshirt, Dean stepped back and reached for his coat. If he didn't find some way to release his anger they were going to end up with a hole in the wall … or five.

"Dad?" A soft whisper brought his attention back to the bed. "What are you doing?"

"You kicked the blankets off." John lied, pulling the comforter over his youngest.

Even mad enough to commit murder, Dean couldn't help but smile. He told him, he was the only one who could handle a sleeping Sam without waking him.

"Where are you going?" Sam mumbled, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Just out for a drive." Dean said calmly.

It wasn't a lie. Until he knew who the b^s%a*d was that hurt his brother, there wasn't much else he could do. In any case, Sam nodded and lay back down.

"And if Black Beauty asks you out," he yawned, "just remember, he's a guy."

"Shut up."

As soon as he shut the door his smile faded. He WAS going to find out who hurt Sammy, and when he did they were gonna PAY.

Taking a sip of his second beer, Dean was still no closer to figuring out how to get Sam to open up about what had happened to him, much less who had done it. The kid could be Fort Knox sometimes. Great when it came to warding off nosy teachers, not so much when it came to bullies. Sam never was comfortable telling them when he was getting picked on, not since Dean got in trouble in fourth grade. Didn't matter that the jerk made Sammy cry first, or that the other kid's big brother threw the first punch, just because Dean was left standing HE got blamed … the school system sucked.

"Ah dude!" A voice called from the corner. "How did you do that!"

He turned to see a group of college guys enjoying a friendly game of pool. Noticing the game had money on it, Dean casually strolled over to watch. The champion was good, not quite a shark, but good. His opponent didn't stand a chance. As soon as the game was over, the victor waved his winnings in the air, grinning at his buddies.

"Anyone else up for a little punishment?"

When each of them turned him down, the cocky winner looked Dean's way.

"What about you? Up for a little friendly competition?"

"Sure, why not." Dean shrugged.

As he played he tried to decide if he should hustle them or not. He could easily throw the game a go for a double or nothing rematch, but these guys weren't like the usual suckers and sharks that paid his bills. While Dean was lining up his fourth shot, a brown haired beauty walked in.

"Uh-oh, Kurt," Dean's opponent smirked, "look like trouble."

One of the other guys, who Dean assumed was Kurt, choked on his beer when the girl came insight.

"Stella, honey, aren't you supposed to be out with the girls?"

"I was, but then Brian came home talking about a fight you got into in the park."

"It wasn't much of a fight, babe." Kurt assured her. "Just some punk kids picking on a little guy."

Dean missed the pocket, but was too focused on the conversation to care. Could they be talking about Sam?

"We didn't even touch them, Stella." another in the group added. "Just chased them away from the other kid."

"Promise?" Stella asked, wrapping her arms around Kurt's neck.

"I promise." He whispered, giving her a kiss. "Now, you better get home, you have an early class tomorrow."

"Yeah, might as well." Stella sighed. "Don't stay out too late."

"Sure thing, goodnight babe."

"Goodnight."

With a parting kiss, Stella slipped away and the guys turned their attention back to the game.

"Your turn, dude." His opponent informed him.

"Yeah, okay." Dean murmured.

His mind was so busy trying to figure out a roundabout way to bring up the fight, he nearly missed the pocket.

"You're slipping man." His opponent teased. "What's wrong, did Stella get to you?"

"Not funny, Jake." Kurt gave him a warning glare.

"No actually I was wondering about the park." Dean said casually. "I got a kid brother at home and want to make sure he's staying out of trouble."

"Oh, the park is usually fine." Kurt assured him.

"It's the McBains you have to worry about." Jake added.

"How so?" Dean questioned.

"Tim, the youngest, is nothing more then a spoiled bully." Kurt explained. "The new kid at school stood up to him, so he and a group of friends decided to teach him a lesson."

"Only they were the ones that learned a lesson." Another in the group took over the story. "Here's what happened ..."

* * *

So Dean now knows the truth ... but what should he do with it? (I am open to suggestions. :) )

Let me know what you think and I will get the next part up asap. :)


	13. Chapter 13

Okay, I have posted a few chapters the last couple weeks, but it seems no matter what I post I get more responses for this story. (Kinda make me wonder f people are reading the other ones ...)

Anyway, I figured if so many people wanted it I should probably post, so ... here you go.

**

* * *

Chapter 13: No More Hiding  
**

Sam had been drifting between sleep and awake for what seemed like hours when he was jerked back to reality by the door slamming. Seeing his brother shedding his coat, he glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that Dean had barely been gone an hour and a half.

"You okay?" He asked, wondering if the near drowning had anything to do with the short outing.

"Me? I'm great." Dean replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Just out playing pool … with Jake, Kurt, Tony, Austin … you know them, right?"

Holy s#*^, he knew about Tim.

"Dean …" Sam sat up, "it's not that bad."

"Really? Six guys kicking your a$% are not bad?" He said, stepping closer to the bed. "What is then? Seven? Eight? How many people have to pound on you before it qualifies as bad?"

"I can handle Tim-"

"Not from what I hear."

Sam rubbed his eyes, his frustration building. He knew Dean wanted to help him, but he COULD handle Tim … not as much Tim and five friends, but the bully alone was not that big of a deal.

"You want to help me, Dean?" He sighed.

"You know I do."

"Then finish the hunt." Sam said firmly.

Dean's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but his anger and concern soon came back in full force.

"The hunt? You think I'm worrying about the hunt right now?"

"No, I don't." Sam snapped. "And THAT'S the problem. If you spend your time worrying about me you are just going to make it easier for the kelpie to get to you again."

Based on the look on his older brother's face, he knew he hit the nail on the head. Dean had been thinking about him and let his guard down, allowing himself to fall prey to a the very thing he was hunting. His brother almost died because of him.

"Your brother is right, Dean."

Turning to John, Sam's jaw dropped. Was his dad siding with him for a change … or was he thinking the same thing, that he was the reason Dean got hurt?

"Dad?" Dean questioned, a hint of betrayal in his voice.

"It's what I told you in the car. You need to get your head in the game before you get yourself killed."

Looks like it was a little bit of both, Sam thought to himself. He could tell Dean wanted to argue some more, but he wouldn't go against what John said.

"Now, get some sleep," he ordered, "both of you."

"Yes sir." Dean answered grudgingly, pulling off his over-shirt.

Sam lay back down, turning away from Dean to hide the grimace the movement caused. He knew this was not over, not by a long shot. His big brother was in full protection mode, and the only thing holding him back now was their dad's orders … but would that be enough to keep him safe on the hunt?

The next morning, Sam woke up to find the shower running and an empty room. Seeing his dad's coat laying on a chair, he figured Dean mus have gone out for breakfast. Wanting to avoid another confrontation, Sam changed as quickly as his sore muscles would allow. Managing to get into his jeans with only minor difficulty, he cringed at the thought of getting on his t-shirt.

"Six guys huh?"

Sam turned to see his dad leaning in the bathroom doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist. The shower was still running and Sam couldn't help but wonder how long he had been standing there. Not sure what to say, he could only stand there as John's critical gaze swept over his collection of bruises.

"What hit you here?" John asked, eye's narrowing at the large bruise on Sam's stomach.

Figures. His dad had seen enough injuries to know the difference between a fist and blunt force trauma. No use hiding it now.

"That wasn't from the fight." Sam admitted, pulling his shirt over his head. "We were using medicine balls in gym."

Wincing from the movement, Sam struggled briefly before firm hands helped him pull his shirt down over his colorful torso. Muttering a thanks, Sam slipped on his shoes, not bothering to tie them, and looked around for his hoody.

"You should have told us."

Sam almost scoffed at the thought. What would it have done? They weren't going to move until the hunt was done, and that was where their focus should be.

"Worry about the hunt, Dad." Sam said, grimacing as he shouldered his backpack. "I'm fine."

Before John could say another word, he slipped out into the early morning.

* * *

Well, the cat is out of the bag and the hunters know about Tim, but will they be able to concentrate on the hunt or will concern for Sammy lead to disaster?

Let me know how I'm doing and I'll get the next part up asap.

BTW, there IS more hurt coming ... but for who? ;)


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry about the wait. I meant to have this up last night but my brain literaly stopped working somewhee around 9:30. (Can you belive that? I can usually write until midnight, no problem.)

Anyway, here you go ...

**

* * *

Chapter 14: What To Do**

Dean pulled up to the hotel and cut the engine. He wasn't happy John had sent him off to get breakfast before he had a chance to check on Sam. He just hoped the kid was still sleeping so he would have a chance to check for any injuries he missed during his brief inspection. Grabbing the paper bag off of the seat, he hurried over to the door, unable to get the key to work fast enough. Once inside he froze. The bathroom was dark, John was sitting at the table writing in his journal, and his brother was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Sam?" He asked as evenly as he could.

"He went out."

"You let him leave?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," John's voice dripped with sarcasm, "I forgot to call you and ask for permission first."

He closed his journal and gave Dean a stern look.

"Your brother is going to be fine Dean. Just focus on the hunt."

Typically, Dean's response would be 'yes sir' and he would do exactly what John said … but this wasn't a typical situation. This was Sam in pain, both physically and emotionally. How could he just forget about that?

"But Dad, what about the b%s^a&ds that jumped Sam? If we don't do something, they could hurt him again."

"And if we don't stop this kelpie, people could die." John countered. "So tell me, where should my priority be?"

"D*$^ it." Dean muttered, dropping down on his bed.

As much as he hated it, his dad had a point. The kelpie was killing people, h&#^, it would have killed him if John hadn't pulled him out of the lake. He loathed the thought of someone hurting his little brother, but the fact of the matter was, Sammy wasn't in life threatening danger … at least as long as he stayed FAR away from the lake.

"I know how you feel, Dean." John admitted quietly. "I don't like this anymore then you do, but the best thing we can do for Sam is finish the hunt."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, "the sooner we kill the b*%$#, the sooner we can leave this town, the sooner I can beat the crap out of the little prick that's been messing with Sam."

"That's assault on a minor, Dean."

"Only if I get caught."

John chuckled softly shaking his head. Dean knew that John wanted to get his hands on those SOBs just as much as he did, but they ad to be smart about it. Maybe if they waited until right before they left town, Dean could get the drop on Tim and show him what happens when you mess with a Winchester.

"You do realize that if the guy found out you were Sam's brother you would have a warrant issued for your arrest, under you real name, right." John said casually.

S^&*, he hadn't thought of that. Since Sam was still in school, he was still using his real name so that his grades would transfer. All the cops would have to do is go to his next school and question him on where his brother was, a scenario he REALLY wanted to avoid. They could try to forge the papers, but he doubted Sam would go for that. The kid worked hard for his grades and Dean hated the thought of taking them away from him. The only other option was to lay low until the statute of limitations ran out … in about seven or eight years. No freaking way he was going to let his desire for payback to keep him away from his little brother. S#%$, it looks like Tim was going to get away with it.

"You're not a three year old, Dean," John stated, "So stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting." Dean grumbled.

"Sure you're not." John smirked. "Come and take a look at this."

Dean walked over, scanning the book his dad indicated. Suddenly he felt sick.

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

"It means we have a way to kill the kelpie."

* * *

Okay, so I know this is short, but I have a way to make it up to yoiu. I already wrote the next chapter ... before I even started this one ... but the point is, it's ready to post.

Now, I normally don't like posting chapters REALLY close together, so I will make you a deal. If I get a huge response in the next couple of hours, I will post before I go to work. If not, I will post after work. So, it is up to you when I post, but I WILL post again today.

So, let me know what you think and we will see what happens. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry, this is more delayed then I thought it would be. (FF was being dumb and only told me about one review when there were six.)

As promised, here is the next chapter ...

**

* * *

Chapter 15: Why We Do ...**

With nowhere else to go, and a long wait before school started, Sam found himself wandering aimlessly through the small town. His thoughts kept going back to the night before. A few drops of blood had distracted Dean enough for a kelpie to get the drop on him, what would happen now?

"Sam?"

Pulled from his thoughts, he looked through the chain link fence surrounding the elementary school to see concerned blue eyes staring back at him.

"Lizzie?"

Finding a gate, Sam slipped into the playground and over to his friend.

"Are you alright?" She asked, looking him over. "Brian said that they hurt you."

"I'm fine, really." Sam assured her. "Wait … you talked to Brian?"

"Yeah, he called me last night to let me know you got home safe. Oh, Sam, I am SO sorry."

"It's not your fa-"

"Lizzie!" A voice squealed. "Watch me, Lizzie!"

The two turned to see a small boy in a blue ball cap sitting at the top of the slide.

"I'm watching, Joey!" Lizzie called back with a smile.

Grinning from ear to ear, Joey slid down the slid and limped over to them.

"Did ya see me, Lizzie?" He asked, his blue eyes shining. "I did it all by myself."

"Yes you did." She said proudly. "Why don't you try it again?"

He nodded enthusiastically and rushed back over to the slide. Lizzie gave him a small smile and turned back to Sam.

"My little brother." Lizzie explained. "A four year old whirlwind."

Joey slid down the slide and hurried back over to them.

"I did it again!"

"You sure did."

Joey turned his wide eyes to Sam and gave him a big smile.

"Hi, I'm Joey. What's your name?"

"Sam."

"Hi Sam." He said happily, showing off his dimples. "This is my sister, Lizzie. She is watching me while my mommy is at work."

"I already know Sam. He goes to my school." Lizzie informed the energetic little boy.

"Oh, okay."

Joey looked up at Sam and gasped.

"Lizzie!" He cried pointing to Sam's face. "He has a scar!"

"Joey." Lizzie scolded, before turning an embarrassed gazed his way. "Sorry Sam."

"It's okay." Sam shrugged.

The small scar on his forehead was just one of the many he had received over the years. It wasn't the first time someone noticed them, probably wouldn't be the last either. At least Joey wasn't likely to call CPS.

"I have one too." Joey exclaimed pulling off his hat, revealing a large white line cut a jagged path from his hairline towards the back of his head. "Do you have a robot leg?"

Taken aback by the question, Sam looked to his friend for help answering.

"Joey," Lizzie cut in gently, "why don't you play some more before we have to leave?"

"Okay." He grinned, heading towards the swing set.

She gave Sam a nervous smile while fidgeting with her charm bracelet.

"I suppose I should explain that, huh?" She sighed. "Joey was in a car accident last year that messed up his right side. He lost his leg and some motor-function in his arm. He's getting better, therapy is really helping a lot, but still …"

Sam watched Lizzie keeping a sharp eye on Joey as he ran around the playground. She started forward when he tripped and tumbled to the ground, but a second later he popped his head up with a smile.

"Lizzie, I found a dandelion!"

She let out a cross between a laugh and a sigh, shaking her head in disbelief.

"That's great Joey. Try to be careful, okay?"

"Okay."

While Joey picked himself up and hurried over to the swings, Sam realized that Lizzie was starting to act like Dean. And if she was half the older sibling he was, Joey was one lucky kid.

"So …" Sam started after a minute. "How do you know Brian?"

"We used to hang out in the same circles." Lizzie replied, without taking her eyes of her brother.

"Before he got popular?" Sam guessed.

"No," She sighed, "before I became unpopular."

Sam gave her a puzzled look. Lizzie was smart, pretty, and fun to be around. How did SHE fall out of graces with the popular crowd?

"I know what you are thinking." She said with a smile. "You aren't the first one to look at me like that."

Dropping his gaze to the ground, Sam muttered an apology.

"It's fine." Lizzie shrugged. "And for the record, they didn't kick me out, I chose to leave. And you know why?"

Sam shook his head, curious as to why anyone would willing give up a popular status. She nodded back towards the swing-set.

"That boy right there." She said firmly. "After the accident I started to see how the popular kids shut people out just because they were different. Most of my friends didn't even know how to act around him anymore. I mean, it's not like he is shy about it. A bunch of them wouldn't even come to my house. Brian was one of the few that didn't change."

"So, you ditched them and started seeking out the outcasts?"

"Yup." Lizzie nodded. "It was social suicide, but if I hadn't done it I never would have met Luke."

Or me, Sam thought to himself. He had to admire Lizzie, giving up her status for her little brother. There was no doubt in his mind that Dean would have done the same thing in a heartbeat.

"Joey!" Lizzie called out a minute later. "Time to go!"

"Coming!" The little boy raced towards them.

"Wanna walk him home with me?" Lizzie offered. "Mom will probably give you one of her homemade cinnamon rolls?"

Sam's stomach growled at the thought as he remembered he had skipped breakfast.

"I'll take that as a yes." Lizzie laughed. "Come on."

* * *

Okay, so I know there wasn't any action in this one, but I just wanted to explain a bit more about why a beautiful girl like Lizzie is hanging around with the outcasts. Next time though, we get to see the hunt. :)

So let me know what you think and I'll get started on the next part. :)


	16. Chapter 16

First off, I would like to apologize for my lack of posting. (My sister surprised me by coming in town for a few days with her adorable babies.)

Second, due to my lack of posting I was determined to give you all a chapter. So, I decided I would not rest until I finished one. And here it is ... at 4am ... please excuse any weirdness, I got a bit loopy towards the end ... and kinda right now ... Yay Wild Cherry Pepsi and TV on DVD! How I love thee. :)

Last of all, I would like to note that this chapter title if VERY similar to the title of chapter 14, but it matched 15 so ... yeah.

Anyway, here you go ...

**

* * *

Chapter 16: … What We Do**

Dean heaved the large net into the bathtub, making sure it was completely submerged. Leaving it to absorb as much of the salt water as possible, Dean went back into the main room where his dad was packing up an assortment of gear and weapons. If things went according to plan, they wouldn't even need them … but then again, when were they ever that lucky?

"Are you SURE this is the ONLY way to kill it?"

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas." John replied, shoving a pair of gloves into the bag.

Not from lack of trying, Dean thought to himself. After he found out what his dad had in mind he spent the next two hours pouring over the books looking for something, h*#$, ANYTHING else. In the end, all he found was proof of how much a hunter's life can truly suck. Sammy was SO lucky he was sitting this one out.

"The net soaking?"

"Yeah." Dean sighed, picking up another tome in a last ditch effort to find a new plan.

"Good. We'll leave as soon as it is dry."

Dean nodded absentmindedly, flipping through the yellowed pages. The salt saturated net should contain the kelpie long enough to kill it … if only they had a different way to do it.

"Can't we just CUT it out?" Dean whined.

"Unless your have a knife that can cut through a tank." John replied dryly.

Running his hand through his hair, Dean sighed inwardly. He didn't mined killing the thing, especially when it's prey of choice matched his little brother … but putting your hand down a creature's throat and tearing out it's heart reaches a whole new level of gross.

"You know," Dean said casually. "I think I might do better holding her down for you to get at her heart."

"Dean, I thought we already had this conversation." John's said in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, but you have more experience with this kind of thing then I do."

"Consider this on the job training."

"I'll flip you for it."

John looked up from his journal with a blank expression.

"Paper, rocks, scissors?"

His dad's face didn't change. That could only mean one thing.

"I'll go get the net."

John nodded and turned back to his work, signaling Dean had made the right choice … cut your losses before you're running laps.

As they pulled up to the lake, Dean felt a strong feeling of nausea. He would rather face an entire pack of black dogs then do what he was about to do. He was tempted to ask John if there was another way to do this, but knew there was no use. Checking his watch as he climbed out of the car, he noticed that Sam would be getting out of school soon. D&%* it. He was hoping to be done by now, not just starting.

"Hey Dad, I'm gonna call Sam really quick."

John gave him a slight nod and Dean pulled out his cell, stepping away for a bit of privacy.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sammy, how was school?"

"Fine … why?"

Dean smiled at the confusion in Sam's voice. And, being who the big brother he was, he was happy to step right through the door he opened for him.

"Fine like good grade fine, or fine like cute redhead fine?"

"Dean, come on."

Something in Sam's groan made Dean think back on the night before.

"Wait … is that girl you went to meet a redhead."

The following silence was enough of an answer.

"She is, isn't she?"

"Dean, why did you call?"

Grinning at the obvious deflection, Dean bit back his usual comment, knowing he didn't have much time to talk.

"Just wanted to let you know, Dad and I should have his hunt wrapped up tonight."

"Great. So … you at the lake now?"

"Yeah. We'll be back with dinner in an hour or so."

Assuming we'll still have an appetite anyway, Dean thought to himself.

"Okay. I'm gonna stick around here for a while, so you might beat me home."

Images of the bruises on his little brother's back flash across his mind.

"Sam …" he warned.

"Dude, I'm okay." He assured him. "I'm in the library and I'm not alone."

"Don't worry about Sam." A voice in the background called. "We got his back."

"Yeah." A second voice added. "Statistically speaking, he has a greater chance of being struck by lighting then running into Tim in here."

"Seriously?" A girl's voice asked.

"Well … depending on where he was standing and what season it was-"

"I'll be fine." Sam interrupted.

Dean bit his lower lip. Part of him wanted to jump back in the Impala and bring his sibling back to the safety of the hotel room, kicking and screaming if he had to. Another part knew that the best way to help Sam was to kill the kelpie so they could move onto the next town.

"Dean?"

"Yeah … um … I'll see later. Just be careful, Sammy."

"Yeah … you too."

After hanging up, Dean turned to see his Dad already had unloaded the necessary gear from the car.

"Ready?" John asked, closing the trunk.

Dean nodded, grabbing the net off the ground. The sooner they did this, the sooner he could go check on Sammy.

* * *

I hope you liked it ... I probably won't remember all of it when the sun comes up ... Yay pillow! ... I love my pillow ... I need sleep ... yeah ... sleep is good ...

Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter and I'll get started on the next one right away ... or ... after I wake up.

P.S. If anyone asks, I went to bed at 10pm. (You guys got my back, right? ;) )


	17. Chapter 17

So, I WAS going to work on some of my other stories, but I got SO MANY requests for this one that, when I realized I hadn't even started the next chapter, I got cracking and wrote this in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. :)

I hope you enjoy it ...

**

* * *

Chapter 17: Predators And Protectors**

"All I'm saying," Luke said calmly, "is Dean seems like a mother rabbit."

"And all I'M saying is, you're delusional." Brian shot back.

Sam glanced at his friends over his text book. How exactly they got from biology to with member of the animal kingdom best represented his brother was beyond him … though it did make for an interesting conversation.

"I don't know," Lizzie picked through their shared bag of Cheetos, "He kinda reminds me of a mother raccoon. I've heard the will carry their young to safety before going back to fight off the predator."

Well, that definitely sounded like Dean … and John … and Pastor Jim … and Bobby …

"Nah," Brian shook his head, grabbing a handful of the orange puffs. "He's a bear all the way."

"Though true a mother bear WILL fiercely protect their cubs, they have also been known to kill the weaker one to ensure the survival of the stronger one." Luke pointed out.

Brian playfully shoved Sam with his elbow.

"Bet your glad you dad isn't a bear, huh?"

Shoving him back, Sam shot his friend a glare, but before he could come up with a retort, Brain continued.

"However, when danger comes near the nest of a cottontail rabbit, they will run back and beat the predator with their hind legs until it leaves. Even stronger predators can be driven away like that."

Wow, Sam thought to himself, Dean really WAS like a rabbit. He smiled, imagining how his big brother would react to being compared to Peter Cottontail … or better yet, his MOTHER.

"Hey, if Dean is the mama rabbit, and Mr. Winchester is the daddy rabbit, does that make Sam the blind and helpless offspring?" Brian smirked.

Sam answered him by throwing a handful of Cheetos at him.

"Guys." Lizzie scolded. "Stop making a mess, or Mrs. Hoffman will NEVER let us in after hours again."

"What are you talking about Liz?" Brain shot her a puzzled look. "School ended less then an hour ago."

"Besides," Luke added, brushing orange crumbs off of his book, "there are always ways to get into the school after hours. The goth club does it all the time."

Sam raised an eyebrow. They had a goth club? They didn't have a basketball team and they had a GOTH club?

"It's not much of a club." Lizzie said lightly.

"Yeah," Brian agreed, "just four people obsessed the the undead."

"Three," Luke corrected. "Jake Carmichael moved."

"Four." Brian countered. "Issac Fuller's cousin joined the group last week."

"You mean Jordan?" Lizzie shivered. "The kid with the creepy book?"

With his hunting instincts activated at the thought of a "goth club" with a "creepy book", Sam tried to stay calm. After all, it could be just a harmless book … but when were they ever that lucky?

"It's all just mumbo-jumbo." Luke said with a dismissive wave wave of his hand.

"Uh, yeah." Brian scoffed. "Like they could SERIOUSLY talk to demons with that thing."

Sam could feel his heart starting to race. This was bad, REALLY bad. He needed to call his dad … but his dad was on a hunt. If he called he might tip off the kelpie to their position, or worst, distract them and give the creature time to attack. No, he was going to have to handle this on his own. All he had to do was get the book away from the goths before it was too late. There was only four of them, how hard could it be?

"Where are they planning on doing that?" He asked as casually as he could.

"Why?" Lizzie gave him a strange look.

"Just curious." Sam shrugged, trying to look as innocent as he could.

"They usually meet in the basement during certain phases of the moon. Luke answered. "Pretty sure the moon is right tonight."

Yeah, that's what Sam was afraid of. He had to get down to the basement fast, otherwise, this school was in for a whole world of trouble.

Unable to convince the others he was fine on his own, since Luke pointed out Tim had a high chance of just getting out of detention, the four of them made their way to the basement.

"I should be fine from here." Sam assured them. "I doubt Tim is in the goth club."

"Yeah, but why do you want to go down there anyway?" Lizzie asked, rubbing her arms. "They're so … creepy."

"I just …" He tried to think up a convincing lie, but came up empty. "It's hard to explain. I just have to."

"Well then, come on." Brain said, taking the lead.

"Where are you going?" Lizzie questioned.

Brian stopped three steps down and turned back towards them.

"His big brother is a bear-raccoon-rabbit-whatever. You really think I'll let him go alone and face the wrath of the animal kingdom when he gets hurt? Someone has to watch his back."

"Right," Luke nodded joining him.

"You guys are crazy … but I'm with you." Lizzie added.

Thought he appreciated the support, Sam didn't want any of his new friends to get hurt if this thing went south. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to talk them out of it. D$*# it.

"Okay," he stated reluctantly, "but at the first sign of danger, you all run like h&%^."

They agreed, while looking at him like he was crazy, and followed Sam down the stairs. Before they even reached the bottom, they could hear several voices chanting in unison.

"Oh s#*%." Sam muttered.

They had been wrong. The goth club wasn't talking to demons, they were summoning a spirit. As soon as Sam's foot hit the concrete floor the temperature dropped dramatically … he was too late!

* * *

It's a little longer then usual, but I didn't think you would mind.

Let me know what you think and I'll get started on the next one. :)

COMING SOON: More hunting, followed by a bunch of hurt, then a large portion of angst.


	18. Chapter 18

Okay, so I had such an overwhelming response from the last chapter that I WAS going to post this one within 24 hours of the last update. However, I learned a valuable lesson, missing a few doses of anxiety medicine does not help with focus.

Now that the problem is fixed, here is the chapter ...

**WARNING:** Those of you easily grossed out, I already told you how they planned to kill the kelpie (and if you forgot the title should remind you), so consider yourself warned.

**

* * *

Chapter 18: My Beating Heart**

Squatting down, Dean brushed aside some of the undergrowth to reveal a set of fresh hoof-prints.

"You sure a salt net will work, Dad?" he asked. "I mean, what kind of spirits leave tracks?"

"Ones that want to be found."

Dean nodded in grim understanding. Who knows how many kids had followed these tracks to their death. This thing was so gonna die.

"Drop." John whispered.

Obeying the order without hesitation, Dean peered past the trees. There, not twenty feet away, was a majestic black horse. It's powerful form moved gracefully among the trees as it's dripping main left a trail alongside it's footprints. He was so entranced by the animal, Dean almost missed John's muttered curse. Turning to see what was wrong, he felt a knot tighten in his stomach. A little boy was on the path.

"S#*%."

Why can't a hunt go right for once?

"We have to act fast." John whispered as he prepared the net. "Get the kid out of here."

Nodding, Dean crept forward, hoping he might reach the boy before the little guy saw the kelpie.

"Hi horsey."

Well, there goes THAT idea, time for a new plan. As soon as John made his move, Dean raced towards the kid.

"RUN!" He yelled. "IT'S AN EVIL HORSEY! RUN AWAY!"

The boy screamed and took off down the path while Dean turned to see his dad has wrestled the thing to the ground. Snorting in anger, the kelpie fought to buck him off. But between the salt filled net and the six foot two hunter, she was stuck. Gripping her jaws, John pried them open as wide as they would go. Dean hesitated, eying the sharp looking teeth and thrashing tongue.

"What the h&%^ are you waiting for?" John growled, forcing the horse like head still. "Rip out the d*$# heart!"

Grimacing, Dean pushed his hand down the throat, trying his best not to gag.

"I don't feel anything."

Aside from slim anyway, he thought with a shutter.

"Tear through the esophagus to get to the chest cavity."

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Taking deep breaths to try to calm his growing nausea, Dean managed to break through the fleshy barrier where his fingers immediately came into contact with … was was that? … Holy s#*% it was a lung! Moving his head away, he swallowed down the bile that fought to come out. This was just too much. He shot his dad a pleading look, silently begging to be freed from the disgusting task. John's eyes shown with understanding, but he spoke with quiet authority.

"Dean, if we don't kill this thing now, it is just going to find another victim … like Sammy."

That did it, it was a cheap shot, but it worked. Moving his hand away from the lung, Dean located and gripped the heart. Using all the strength he could muster, he pulled it out, instantly stilling the creature. His relief was short lived, however, when he got a look at the organ in his hand.

"GAH!" Dean yelled, dropping the repulsive object.

"What?"

"It's beating, Dad!" He groaned, trying to shake the layer of slime off his arm. "The d^$& thing is still beating!"

"Suck it up," John ordered, pulling the lighter fluid out of his duffel, "we're almost done."

Muttering about how sick and wrong this whole hunt was, Dean walked over to the lake and attempted to wash away the slime.

"Son of a b*^$#." He growled, as the water ran right off the mucus like substance.

He was going to need therapy.

"Hey Dean, toss that heart onto the fire."

A LOT of therapy.

"I ripped it out!" He protested. "You pick it up."

"Quit being a baby." John grumbled. "You are already slimed, so just burn the d#*% thing."

Dean eyed the heart that was still beating in the grass, which was wrong on SO many levels.

"I'm being punished aren't I?"

"Not yet …"

Taking a deep breath, he reached down and grasped the pulsing organ, blood and slime squishing between his fingers. Forget it. There was not enough therapy in the world to handle this hunt.

* * *

One monster down, one to go.

Let me know what you think and I'll get started on the next chapter. (And I HAVE been taking my meds this time. :) )

COMING SOON: A heaping helping of Hurt!Sam.


	19. Chapter 19

So, about an hour ago I checked my email and saw a review from Girafa challenging me to write the next chapter within two hours. Naturally, I could hardly resist the challenge.

So, with the encouragement of my cousin (who kept me on track) I managed to write a whole chapter in just about a hour. (I new personal best for me.)

Please ignore any mistakes, and enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 19: You Can Run**

Sam raced back towards the basement. He had to get that book. He had to send the spirit back where it came from before someone got killed.

"Sam hold up!" Lizzie called after him.

Ignoring her, Sam took the stairs two at a time, praying it wasn't too late. He was jerked to a stop when Brian caught hold of his arm.

"Just wait a second, would ya!"

"Brian, just get Luke and Lizzie out of here. I can handle this."

"Handle what?" Luke panted, joining them.

"And why the crap did you steal all the salt from the cafeteria?" Brian asked, giving the cylinders in his arms a strange look.

"It's kinda crazy." Sam stated quickly, pulling his arm free. "I'll tell you all about it later, just GET OUT!"

Not waiting to see it they followed his instructions, Sam bolted down the rest of the steps.

He found himself in a long hallway, lined with doors. The paint had peeled off their frosted glass windows, making it impossible to tell a boiler room from a closet. Even so, it didn't take him long to figure out where the goth club was, since the screams of terror sort of gave that away. Rushing into what appeared to be either a storage room or the janitor's office, the young hunter found himself staring at a very pale, very pissed off, woman. The goth club was huddled in the opposite corner, looking almost as white as the ghost. As the woman advanced on him, Sam swung out his arm, sending a wide arc of salt into the spirit. With a final glare, she vanished into a cloud of smoke.

Letting out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, Sam looked around the room. In the center was a small fire, right under the disabled sprinkler system. Candles and painted symbols where scattered across the room, most of them random wards that wouldn't do much to a demon besides make it laugh. When he saw the spell book was not present, he turned his attention to the stunned teens.

"Where is the book?" He demanded.

"How did you DO that?" A kid with long black hair asked.

Briefly wondering if the kids was a boy or a girl, since fear had made their voice jump to a high register, Sam shook his head in frustration.

"Never mind, just tell me where you put the book."

The one girl in the group pointed a shaky finger towards the fire and Sam caught sight of the charred cover among the flames. Idiots.

"You burned it?"

"She was out of control!" One of the guys argued.

"Yeah, and burning the d^%$ thing takes away what ever control you MIGHT have had."

Freaking morons. A sudden drop in temperature reminded Sam that now was not the best time to have this conversation.

"Run." He shouted, handing them a container of salt. "Get out of the school as fast as you can."

"With salt?" The boy or girl questioned.

"GO!"

Holding the door open so the goth kids could escape, Sam didn't realize the spirit had returned until he was flying across the hallway and slamming into the wall. He groaned as every injury he had accumulated since meeting Tim made itself known.

"Sam!"

His eyes snapped open and he looked to the stairs to see Brian, Luke, and Lizzie rushing towards him.

"Get out of here!" He ordered, trying to stand.

Brain and Luke hauled him to his feet, not letting go until he was steady.

"Dude, you're our friend." Brian stated. "Friends look out for each other."

"We are not leaving without you." Lizzie added.

"Besides," Luke piped up, "the goth club is gone now. So what is there to be scared of?"

As if on cue, the pale woman emerged through the wall, fixing her eyes on the group of teens. Lizzie screamed and Luke immediately moved to shield her. Sam, shoving his last can of salt into Brian's hands, pushing him towards the others.

"Get them out of here."

"What about you?" Lizzie shriek. "We can't just leave you with that … that ..."

"I'll be fine." Sam assured them, taking a defensive stance in front of them. "GO!"

Covering their escape, Sam tried his best to distract the ghost, but soon found himself being tossed against another wall.

"Sam!"

He looked back towards the stairs, but just as he opened his mouth to tell them to leave him, Lizzie screamed.

"SAM LOOK OUT!"

A second later an icy hand wrapped around his ankle and he was throw feet first … straight towards one of the glass windows.

* * *

As promised, Hurt!Sam. (But it won't really show much until the next chapter. ;)

Well, I am off to hang out with my sister and cousin. Let me know what you think and I will get started on the next part when I get home. :)

COMING SOON: Protective!Dean a plenty. ;)


	20. Chapter 20

**HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!**

_(And yes, for me it is still Father's Day ... for another 52 minutes anyway.)_

So, to celebrate dads, I wanted to post a chapter for each of the dads (and honorary dads) in my stories. but, since I spent the day with Daddy, I didn't have much time for writing. So I will post the first two now and the other three tomorrow night.

Without farther delay, my tribute to John. :)

**

* * *

Chapter 20: It's Never Over**

Dean held his arm under the nearly scalding water, scrubbing his hand until the whole thing was nearly raw. Thankfully, he had not bothered pushing his sleeve up, so he only had a slimy hand to deal with. Between the hot water, bleach, and two of the motel's wash cloths, every trace of the d%$^ kelpie was slowly but surely washing away. This was the last time he EVER killed something with his bear hands. At least with this hunt wrapped up, they could take care of the sons of b*t$hs that had been hassling Sam and get the h^%# out of Dodge.

"You know Dad, how about next time YOU reach down the b&s^a%d's throat and I hold it's mouth open."

"Kelpie hunts are rare." John responded, dryly. "We probably won't see another one for years."

Dean shut off the water and dried his hand on a clean towel, turning to lean against the edge of the sink so he could see his dad, not surprised to see the paper spread out on the table.

"How does THAT change anything?"

"By the time we hunt another one, your brother will be with us." He answered, without looking up from his journal. "Seniority is not without it's perks."

Dean dropped the towel beside the sink, grinning at the mental image of a slime covered Sammy.

"So basically, as long as we all hunt together, you never have to do the dirty work?"

John glanced up with a small smile.

"You just figured this out now?"

Before he could answer, Dean was cut off by someone frantically pounding on the door. Snatching his .45 off the table, the younger hunter stood back while his dad answered the door, his own gun held just out of sight. John checked the peep hole before giving Dean a puzzled look and pulling the door open. Almost immediately a teenage girl burst through the door. She looked to be about Sam's age with curly red hair and wide, fear filled, blue eyes. But what really caught his attention was the blood stains on her hands and clothes.

"Oh God! You have to help him! Please!" She said frantically, looking back and forth between the two men.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"She came out of nowhere!" The girl cried. "Oh God!"

"Who?" John demanded.

"We couldn't stop her! Oh God! There was so much blood!"

"WHO?" The two hunters almost shouted.

But they seemed to have no effect on the panicked teen.

"He's gonna die! Oh God! Please don't let him die!"

Clearly frustrated, John grasped the girl by her shoulders.

"Who. Is. Dying?"

"Sam!" She half sobbed. "Oh God! You have to help Sam!"

Dean felt himself pale before rushing over to pull the girl away from his dad.

"Where?"

"At the school!"

That was all Dean needed to hear before bolting out the door. He knew he shouldn't have let him stay at that school. Why didn't he make him go home? Why didn't he- all thoughts stopped and his blood ran cold when he caught sight of the two boys on the corner … and the limp form braced between them.

Sammy!

Running forward, Dean pulled his brother out of the boys arms.

"Hey!" One of the two protested, tightening his grip.

"Back off." Dean growled, grabbing Sam and racing back towards their hotel.

While he ran, he glanced down at his little brother, reassuring himself that he was still breathing.

"Hang on, Sammy." He whispered. "You're going to be fine, just hang on."

Halfway across the parking lot he ran into his dad.

"How's he doing?" John asked, with the redhead in tow.

"I don't know." He answered, not slowing down until he reached the room.

Laying his brother on his bed, Dean barely noticed the others coming into the room as he quickly scanned for injuries. Carefully unwrapping the bloody t-shirts around Sam's, the older brother sucked in his breath. Long gashes ran down both of the young teen's legs, bits of glass still embedded in his flesh.

"D*&% Sammy." He breathed.

He didn't know what happened, but according to that girls hysterics, Dean knew that this wasn't the act of a bully. It looks like the kelpie wasn't the only b&%^* that was going to die tonight.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it.

Let me know what you think and I'll get started in the next part. :)


	21. Chapter 21

Hey, sorry I never got up the other three Father's Day updates I promised. (Real life decided to be annoying.)

Also, I mean to have this chapter up days ago, but got stuck at the end. I hope the finished product is okay.

Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 21: Managing The Pain**

Sam found himself in a black void. He didn't know which way was up, or even if there was an up. What happened? He remembered the sharp pain as the glass sliced into his legs … the dizzying blow when his head collided with the bottom half of the door … Lizzie screaming in terror … Brian throwing salt onto the ghost … three sets of hands pulling him towards the stairs … Luke spouting off the fastest way to the hospital … was he in a hospital? No, he told them not to. He told them to find his dad. But had they?

Slowly, he began to distinguish voices. Distorted at first, but they rapidly became clearer.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Brian, just let them work."

"But Luke, he's so pale."

"He's going to be fine, Liz."

"But he lost so much blood. Oh God! Is he going to die?"

"He's NOT going to die."

Dean? They found- Before the could finish processing the thought, Sam gasped as he felt something small pierce his leg.

"Just hang in there Sammy." his brother whispered gently, running his fingers through his sibling's hair. "You are going to be fine."

Sam leaned into the touch, verifying that Dean was really there and it wasn't some kind of pain educed hallucination. He wished he could see him, know if he was okay or not, but it was just too dark. Suddenly, it dawned on the young hunter why exactly he couldn't see. When did he close his eyes? And who kept stabbing and pulling at his legs? Unsure whether opening his eyes or getting away from the pain would be harder, Sam decided to try for the latter. Weakly trying to pull his injured leg away from whoever or whatever was hurting him, he was immediately stopped when a firm hand wrapped around his ankle.

"Dean, keep him still. I am almost done."

"D … Dad?" Sam whispered, forcing his eyes open.

"I'm right here, Sam." John answered with a brief glance. "Just hold on, I only have a few stitches left."

A few stitches later, Sam wished he was still in the pain free void, but at least it was over. As their Dad wrapped his legs in gauze, Dean helped him sit up enough to swallow a couple of pain pills.

"What happened?" John asked.

Sam glanced over at his friends. They were sitting on the edge of Dean's bed, clearly still in shock about what they had seen. Brian had his hands clasped in front of him, staring at the floor. Lizzie was watching Sam, as if any minute he would stop breathing. Luke was holding her hands and putting on a brave face, but there was fear in his eyes.

"Sam?" Dean asked, lowering himself so they were at eye level. "What happened?"

"A spirit."

"Son of a b^&%#." Dean muttered. "You mean that d^$& school is haunted?"

Crap, Sam thought to himself, I know that look. Why did his big brother have to feel guilty every time he got hurt? There was no way he could have even known about the danger, much less stopped it.

"Dean," Sam grunted as he pushed himself upright, "it's not your-"

Suddenly the room started to spin and Sam would have fallen off the bed had it not been for John and Dean steadying him from both sides.

"Easy there, Sammy." Dean said, as the two hunters eased him back down against the pillows.

"I'm fine." Sam insisted, rubbing his temples against the throbbing pain that decided to make itself know in full force. "It's just a headache."

"It's probably from one of the times he hit his head." Brian offered.

John and Dean both turned to glare at the group of teens. Crap. Looks like they left a few details out when they brought him back to the hotel.

"He hit his head?" John questioned, his voice dangerously clam.

"At least three times." Luke answered before Sam had a chance to stop him. "But that is just what we saw."

"And you didn't think we needed to know that?"

Dean rose up, towering over the trio who shrank back, looking to Sam for help on what to do or say. He, in turn, reached out and caught his brother's wrist.

"It's okay, Dean."

"Okay?" He snapped, turning back to Sam. "No, this past okay when that dick went after you."

"Dean." John stated.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he took his seat on the edge of his little brother's bed.

"Okay," John continued, checking Sam's eyes with a pen light, "you know the drill."

"My name is Sam Winchester. Today is February 27th, 1998. We are in Devils Lake, North Dakota."

John nodded and put away the pen light before heading over to the table.

"Concussion isn't that bad. You'll be fine, just don't go to sleep."

"Yes sir," Sam sighed, but he knew it was easier said then done.

"That's it?" Lizzie asked in disbelief.

Sam turned his head and looked past Dean to the shocked look on his friend's face.

"You find out he was tossed around by a GHOST, got his legs shredded, has a concussion, and your response is 'you'll be fine'? Who ARE you people, the Men In Black?"

"Who?" John questioned without looking up from his newspaper.

"Jeez Dad," Dean rolled his eyes, "you need to get out more."

"Sure Dean, I'll just pencil that in between hunting, maintaining weapons, and feeding you two."

Smirking at his family's antics, Sam saw varying looks of confusion on his friend's faces.

"You might want to get comfortable." He sighed. "This is kind of a long story …"

* * *

Well, let me know what you think and I will get started on the next part.

BTW, I have a bunch of new stories I am just itching to write, but with all my active stories, I have to wait a bit longer. This one, Roses Are Red, and Learning Curve have 6 or less chapters left, so I might be focusing on these ones for a bit, unless you guys tell me differently. (As I said before, I write what people want to read. :) )


	22. Chapter 22

Sorry, I meant to finish this yesterday, but ended up being busy all weekend. But since LvSammy asked for it, I figured I should post it. Again, sorry for the delay.

Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 22: Matter of Fact**

"Ghost hunters." Brian stated in disbelief. "You are a family of GHOST hunters."

Dean turned to look at his little brother who, despite the blood loss and mild concussion, had done most of the talking. Sam just shrugged, leaning back against the pillows.

"I know it's a little hard to believe-"

"A LITTLE." Brian muttered.

"-but that's what we do." Sam finished.

Dean glanced back at the teens to see how they were taking the news. Brian was clearly still trying to wrap his head around it, Lizzie appeared to be slowly come out of a state of shock, while Luke just sat there and stared at the floor with a serious look on his face.

"You know …" Luke started, tapping his fingers together, "it makes a lot of sense."

"In what universe does THAT make sense?" Brian demanded.

The Vulcan like boy turned to face his friend, with a completely deadpan expression.

"Do you have a better explanation to how a woman walked through a wall, threw Sam around like it was nothing, and disintegrated when coming in contact with salt?"

The other teen was dumbstruck as he mouth open and closed seeking an answer where there was none.

"But GHOSTS!" He shouted when he found his voice.

"There have been documented encounters with the supernatural going back centuries." Luke continued. "Statistically speaking, they can't all be false."

"What do you know," Dean said with a grin, "a geek with useful knowledge. Sammy, I see why you like this guy."

While the nerds shot him death glares, Lizzie seemed to finally come out of her trance.

"So wait … are saying the school is haunted?"

"It is NOW." Sam grumbled, turning away from Dean.

"Now?" John questioned.  
"The goth club summoned a spirit." Sam explained.

"Goth club?" Dean stared at his little brother. "Your school has a freaking GOTH club?"

"Not much of one," Luke clarified, "just four sophomores who have a fascination with the supernatural."

"Like them?" Brian asked, jerking his thumb in the direction of the Winchesters.

"Hardly." Luke answered, before any of the hunters had a chance. "Aside from the obvious age difference, the only thing they have in common is a belief in the supernatural. Where the club obsesses over it, Sam and his family put there knowledge to use to make the world safer. To compare them to that group is an insult."

Stunned, everyone just stared at the kid. He had known about hunting for all of two minutes and he was already campaigning for them. Dean was sure if he should join a politicians team or donate his freaky brain to science. Apparently, he was not the only one on that train of thought.

"What are you, their PR guy?" Brain exclaimed.

Luke looked like he was about to come up with another retort, but stopped when Lizzie took his hand.

"You don't think that … thing can leave the school, do you?"

Dean could see the fear shining in her eyes and leaned towards her.

"Don't worry, it can't get you here."

"Me?" Lizzie shook her head. "No, I'm fine, but my little brother's daycare is only a mile away from the school. What if she get out? What if she gets Joey?"

Dean glanced over at Sam, know EXACTLY how she felt. Seeing your younger siblings blood on your hands … it was an experience he wouldn't wish on anyone.

"Your brother will be fine."

Sam was talking to Lizzie, but the way he said it told Dean that the message was for him just as much as it was for her.

"How?" She demanded. "The salt line we laid down at the top of the stairs? What happens when the janitor comes in tomorrow? He's going to let her out and when she is loose …"

"Come on, Liz," Luke said gently, "think about this logically."

"Yeah," Brian added, "there is no way that thing is getting anywhere near Joey."

"Exactly." Luke agreed. "I mean, why would she travel a mile to the daycare when she has a whole school full of victims to terrorize?"

So close, and yet … so not helping. Dean shot a look to silence the human computer before turning to Lizzie.

"You don't need to worry about your brother." He promised. "This b*&^% won't be around long enough to do anything to him."

"But how will you stop her?" Lizzie questioned.

"If she was summoned, she can be banished." John stated, already graving their iron rounds.

"The goths burned the book." Sam said glumly.

D&%$ it. Dean made a mental note to beat the crap out of the goths later, but right now he put his game face on.

"Doesn't matter." He stated firmly. "There is no way she is making it to dawn."

Lizzie's eyes shifted to Sam and back to Dean, before she gave him a small nod of understanding. This ghost wouldn't get to her little brother … because it had already hurt Dean's.

* * *

For all you Criminal Minds fans out there, can you see where I got my inspiration for Luke's personality?

Anyway, let me know what you think and I will get started on the next chapter.

COMING SOON: Older siblings unite!


	23. Chapter 23

So, since I was getting a lot of story alerts/favorite story alerts/reviews for this story, I figured it was high time I post again.

Enjoy ...

**

* * *

Chapter 23:Trying to Help  
**

"Front half is down." Brian said, setting the half empty bag of salt between the beds.

Sam glanced up from his book to see thick white lines coating the windowsill and circling the door. With very little time to find a way to take out the ghost, Sam had convinced his dad to let his friends fortify the hotel while the hunters did reaserch. He suspected that John had only agreed to keep them out of his wsay, but considering Dean was looking through spell books at the table while their dad sat across from him cleaning guns, Sam seriously doubted ANY sane teen would bother them. Still, giving then easy jobs was better then them sitting around doing nothing. And the salt lines may be almost twice as wide as was necessary, but they would still work.

"Good job." Sam nodded towards his friend, before looking towards the other side of the room. "How is the back coming?"

The way Luke was focusing on measuring the salt lines made Sam wonder if he even heard him, but he still answered in his usual manner.

"Based on the amount of salt capable of dispersing the ghost, and assuming that velocity and impact were key factors in that, I was able to determine that that an unbroken salt line, to keep out this particular sprint should have a minimum thickness of-"

"Back half is done," Lizzie interrupted, handing Sam a book of symbols, "and all the symbols are in place."

Sam nodded and returned to his research. There had to be a way to bind the spirit without their book, he just had to find it.

"Dude," Dean groaned, "you are making that WAY harder then it has to be."

Looking up, Sam bite back a laugh. Luke now had a ruler and was LITERALLY measuring the salt lines.

"I am just making sure the ghost can't get through." Luke insisted.

"They can't." Dean stated, closing his own book. "Move on."

"No harm in making sure." Luke mumbled walking away from the back window.

He moved over to the couch where Brian was skimming through one of Dean's car magazines and sifted through the available reading material. Sam just smiled and turned to the next spell in his book.

"Um … Mr. Winchester?" Luke called polity looking at something on the coffee table.

Oh man, Sam thought to himself, please tell me Dean didn't leave his porn out again.

"Yeah?" John grunted, loading a .45 with iron rounds.

Waving off the warning glance from Brian, Luke approached the hunter holding a notebook.

"I was just looking over Sam and Dean's work out regime …"

He was looking at WHAT? Sam wasn't sure what his friend had in mind, but he sincerely hoped that he wasn't about to do what he thought he was about to do. A quick look at Dean's warning glare told Sam that his brother was thinking the exact same thing.

"What about it?" John asked, taking the notebook from the teen.

"It is very good, but might be more productive if you added a few whole body workouts, like eight counts or jumping jacks."

"Make it more like boot-camp." John said with a small smile.

"Exactly."

Crap. This must be why Dean doesn't make friends, less people to make our lives h&^*. Speaking of Dean, the look on his face told Sam that he had about five seconds to stop Luke before there was a homicide.

"Hey Luke," Sam called quickly, searching the bed for the book of symbols, "why don't you go double check Lizzie's work."

"I don't think that is necessary, I have full confidence in her abilities." Luke replied dismissively. "Another thing that might be useful to add is jumping rope-"

"You know, Luke," Lizzie cut in, obviously sensing the danger the oblivious boy was in, "I would really appreciate it if you would check the symbols. You know, make sure I got all the lines right."

"Liz, you have won seven first place awards with your artwork, thirteen if you count coloring contests." Luke argued … until she slipped her arm through his and smiled. "Um … okay … I guess I could look at them … if you want me to."

"Thanks, Luke." She said, guiding him to the door.

Wow, usually it was the girls dropping everything when Dean smiled, Sam wasn't used to seeing the reverse happen.

"I'll go with you." Brian offered, tossing the magazine on the coffee table.

"Why?" Luke asked, snapping out of whatever spell Lizzie had placed on him.

"To help check her work, obviously."

"Brian, you could not tell a De Vinci from a Picasso." Luke pointed out.

"Hey, that was two years ago … at least I knew they were both Italian painters from the same time period."

"Picasso was Spanish." Luke corrected, "and he lived three hundred years after De Vinci."

"Well, they both painted!"

"And this is all incredibly fascinating." Lizzie cut in, shoving them both towards the door, "but I'm pretty sure Sam and his family have better things to do then hear about art history. Why don't we finish this outside, okay?"

Shooting the hunters an apologetic look, Lizzie shoved the boys outside and shut the door behind them.

"Nice friends you got there." John smirked, setting aside the notebook.

"Yeah," Dean agreed, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "REAL nice."

Sam sighed and looked back at his spell book, making a mental note to never bring friends over again … or at least, not ones with an opinion on physical training.

* * *

I know there wasn't much action here, but I just got the idea for Luke's part in this and had to put it in.

Let me know what you think and I will try to maker the next one more exciting.


	24. Chapter 24

My life just sucks right now.

Not only is my anxiety flaring up, but I have to leave for school in 20 minutes and my homework is not done. (I also have yet to eat today and I am still in my pajamas, but that is beside the point.) On top of that I have late notices for bills and no income.

At least I still have Fanfiction. :)

Enjoy ...

**

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Chapter 24: Two Latin Chants**

"Got it!"

Dean looked up at his brother's exclamation to see the injured teen looking through two tomes at once. John got up from the table and took one of the books from his youngest.

"That binding spell should be able to trap the spirit so that you can banish it with this."

"Hmm." John murmured. "Might work."

Crossing over to Sam's bed, Dean scanned over the pages Sam had found. It WOULD work, but there was one problem. It was, at least, a three man job and would be freaking hard for only one of them to keep the spirit back while the other did the incantation.

"It's great Sam," Dean said, handing back the second tome, "but where are we going to get a third man?"

"Uh," Sam stared at him as if it was obvious, "right here."

A chorus of 'what?', 'are you kidding?', and 'you are in no shape for that' rang from the couch where Sam's friends had retreated. They took the words right out of Dean's mouth and left one behind.

"No." Dean and John stated in unison.

"Come on." Sam groaned. "All I have to do is two Latin chants, it's not that hard."

"Yeah," Brian chimed in, sarcastically, "all you have to do is spout off some Latin and avoid Madam Leota smashing your face into the wall, all the while being unable to stand on your own. Not hard at all."

"Um, Brian," Luke said quietly, "Madam Leota is a median who helps ghosts appear at The Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland, not an angry spirit."

"Close enough, dude." Brian hissed back.

"So," Lizzie started, ignoring her two friends, "ALL you would have to do is say the incantations."

Sam nodded, apparently relived that someone was listening to him. Dean, not felling so relived, turned to glare at the teenage girl.

"He's NOT doing anything."

"Oh, I agree." Lizzie stated. "Sam is not going anywhere … I am."

"What?" The other three freshman exclaimed.

"Hey, you need a third person, and all they have to do is a couple of Latin chants. I can do that, I know Latin."

"Did you forget about the freaky ghost lady?" Brian asked.

"It's too dangerous." Luke added. "What if she attacks again?"

"They're right." Dean agreed. "You are-"

"All you have," Lizzie interrupted, "unless you want to take Sam up on his offer."

Crap, she had a point. He wasn't happy about it, but she had a point.

"Look, I know I am Peter Vankman," she continued, "but this thing is threatening my town, my school, and my friends. There is no way I am letting it hurt anyone else. So give me the chants and lets end this b^&%#."

Turning toward the bed, she took the books from Sam, making sure to mark the pages, and headed out the door. John grabbed his coat with a small smile.

"I like her."

***T*A*D*L***

Following Lizzie through the quiet school, Dean kept an eye out for any sign of movement, human or not. The fact they were carrying guns, salt, and spell books in a school might be a little hard to explain to the night guard, if they even had one in Nowhere, North Dakota. He wondered if that son of a b^%#* that beat up Sam was still hanging around. He wouldn't mind running into him.

"Down here." Lizzie whispered, stepping over a erratic, but intact, salt line.

Putting aside thought of getting even with the school bully, Dean focused on getting revenge against the other soon-to-be-dead-thing that dared to hurt his brother. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, the teen hunter scanned the area. No sign of the b%$&^ yet, but he did catch sight of a shattered window with bloody glass. This thing was SO going down.

"Lizzie, start reading." John instructed. "Dean, you take left."

"On it." Dean responded, readying his weapon.

John make a quick salt circle for Lizzie to stand in before moving to her right. Now all they had to do was wait. Opening the first book, Lizzie started to chant. Her voice was shaky at first, but grew stronger … so did the wind.

"Keep reading." John ordered, as the spirit appeared at the other end of the hallway.

Lifting his weapon John fired an iron round towards the apparition, but she vanished a split second before contact. Dean turned, trying to see where the spirit would appear next when suddenly Lizzie screamed.

"Look out!"

Next thing Dean knew he was flying through the air before crashing into one of the walls.

"Dean!" John shouted, firing off his gun again.

The younger hunter pushed himself upright, wincing at the sharp pain in his shoulder, and opened his eyes to see the ghost was inches from his face. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up until his feet left the floor. A second later she disintegrated in a rain of salt and Dean fought to catch his breath. He looked up just at the b&^#$ appeared behind John.

"Dad, behind you!" He gasped.

Just as John turned to give her another shot of salt, the ghost screamed and vanished in a burst of light.

* * *

What did you guys think about Lizzie stepping up to the plate?

Let me know and tonight I will post the next, and final, chapter of this story. :)


	25. Chapter 25

Wow, it's done. Really done. Finished. Holy crap, this took a long time. Sorry.

A word of advice (that also explains the lack of updating), when you are given medication it's obvious that you should not take more then the doctor says, but it ain't that great taking less either. (Especially if it is for anxiety.)

Another side note, I recently noticed a typo in that last chapter. When Lizzie is convincing them to let her hunt she says, "Look, I know I am Peter Vankman ..." when it should read: "Look, I know I am no Peter Vankman ..." Sorry if there was any confusion there. My keyboard doesn't always pick up the letters I type.

Anyway, on with the final chapter ...

**

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Chapter 25: A Fond Farewell**

Sam stiffly pulled his backpack off and tried to shove his oversized math book inside, regretting that he convinced his dad to give him one more day at school. As happy as he was to spend more time with his friends, the bruises on his back and shoulders were killing him, not to mention how hard it was to keep things from touching his legs. Yup, sometimes school was a really bad idea.

"Here Sam, let me help you with that." Brian offered, appearing at his side.

Before he could protest, the other boy took the backpack and slid the heavy book inside.

"What are you even doing here?" He asked, zipping the bag up. "You of all people deserve a day in bed."

"Thanks, but I'm fine." Sam insisted. "Day's over anyway."

He held his hand out to take his thing back, but Brian shook his head.

"Dude, I saw your back. I'm surprised your bear-raccoon-rabbit-brother let you carry it at all."

Don't remind me, Sam thought to himself, as his mind wondered back to the struggle to get to school that morning. It had taken a half hour of pleading and puppy dog eyes for them to even consider it.

"So …" Brian started, carrying the heavy bag towards the door, "you guys leaving town then?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "They'll be picking me up any minute now."

"I gotta say," Brian shook his head, "life is gonna seem pretty boring after all this."

"You rather have my life?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"No." He answered quickly, "I like boring. Boring is good. Boring is safe."

"So long as you keep those idiots from summoning another spirit." Sam scoffed, pushing opened the door to the school yard.

"I heard that!" A voice snapped.

The two friends turned to see a couple members of the goth club glaring at them.

"And for the record, we had everything under control." The brown haired one said calmly, pushing back his glasses.

"Yeah," the boy-or-girl, who now sounded like a boy, agreed, "it was fine until you came along."

"You little-" Brian started forward, but Sam caught his arm.

"Let it go dude." He whispered.

"You better listen to your friend." The first guy said, his tough guy persona so fake it was almost comical. "Because he and I, we're like thunder and lighting."

"We're wolves, man." The other stated, dramatically running a hand through his shoulder length black hair. "Pure wolves."

While Sam thought of what Dean would say to these a*$holes, a pretty Asian girl walked up to them.

"Ed, mom is here."

"Coming Maggie." The brown haired one said, before nudging his friend. "Come on, Harry."

While they walked away in, what Sam assumed was, a macho strut, Luke and Lizzie emerged from the school.

"Hey guys. What did the goth clowns want?" Lizzie asked.

"Just to tell Sam they could have handled the ghost without help." Brain answered.

"Not surprising." Luke commented. "Zeddmore and Spangler are rumored to be the town's foremost experts on all things paranormal … a rumor I'm sure they started themselves."

"I bet." Brian smirked.

"Well well," a cocky voice called out, "look who's slumming."

Sam suppressed the urge to groan. Didn't he have enough to deal with, without Tim getting in his face? But when he looked up, he saw Tim's focus was on the athlete standing next to him.

"So Brian," the bully nodded towards Sam's backpack, "you doing charity work now, or is this some kind of community service."

Tim's two buddies snickered while Brian gave them a dark glare.

"Back off, jerk." Lizzie spat.

"You gonna make me, pretty lady?"

"She wouldn't have too." Sam interjected, stepping forward.

As he stared down the bully, he felt a small tug on his arm.

"Sam, no." Lizzie hissed.

"Still getting a girl to fight your battles?" Tim taunted.

"Why?" Sam shot back. "You scared that she'll beat you?"

With a low growl, Tim swung his fist at Sam's head and the young hunter prepared to block, but all the training his dad had put him through didn't prepare him for Lizzie. Stepping forward, she tried to move Sam out of the way of the punch, unknowingly lining herself up with it. As quickly as he could, Sam tried to pull him friend back, but it was too late and Tim's meaty fist slammed into her shoulder. He a cry of pain, Lizzie fell into Sam and they both hit the ground.

"Lizzie!" Luke cried out, dropping to her side.

She whimpered, cradling her arm, as Luke tenderly prodded her injury.

"It will be okay, Liz." He said softly. "Just a bruise."

But when Luke looked up, his expression was far from gentle. It was a look Sam had seen many times on his dad and brother. This guy had gone too far.

"Stay with her." He instructed, his voice hard, as he stood to face the bully. "You crossed the line, Tim."

"Oh?" Tim gave his scrawny opponent an amused look. "And what are you gonna-"

He was cut off when his nose broke under Luke's fist. Stumbling back in shock, Tim's face turned to rage and he charged. Deflecting the blow, he knocked Tim to the side, before turning to the bully's back up. The first guy attempted a straight punch, which Luke effectively turned into an arm lock before sweeping the kid's feet out from under him. After a powerful kick left the other one sprawled on the ground, he returned his attention to the one who started it all. Taking him down with ease, Luke leaned over the bully, he foot firmly planted on Tim's chest.

"Don't touch Lizzie," he hissed, "and stay away from my friends."

Stepping back, Luke turned and helped Lizzie and Sam to their feet.

"Luke …" She gaped, looking over at Tim and his fallen friends.

"Come on, let's go get you an ice pack." He said with a small smile, wrapping his arm around her waist and turning to his other friends. "Bye Sam. Keep in touch."

Sam just nodded as Lizzie allowed herself to be led away, still in shock at the sudden change that had come over the mild-mannered student. Brian, however, was a little more vocal in his surprise.

"Holy CRAP, dude!" He exclaimed. "Where did THAT come from?"

Luke paused on his way toward the school and looked over his shoulder.

"I may be a passivist," he answered seriously, "but my father was a Navy Seal."

D^%&, Sam thought as he watched his friends head back inside, no wonder he had an opinion of their workout regime.

"Hey Sammy." Dean walked up, looking down at the boys still moaning on the ground. "Did I miss something?"

"Only Luke kicking the crap out of these three." Brian answered with a grin.

"Luke?" Dean asked in surprise. "The dork who measured salt? What turned him into Van Dame?"

"Tim hit Lizzie." Sam explained, taking his backpack from Brian.

"He was aiming for Sam." Brian added.

"Really?"

Dean dropped his gaze down to the bullies, who at this point were aware enough to know they were in trouble. Lucky for them, the angry older sibling had no idea which of them was the ring leader. But when Dean took a small step forward, Tim scurried backwards away from him as fast as a crab-walk could carry him. Idiot. He might as well have put on a neon name tag.

"So, you're the one who hurt my little brother." Dean took another step closer to the bully. "Big mistake."

"Dean." Sam said, his tone half way between a warning and a plea. "It's not worth it."

Hesitating, he towered over the trembling teen, and suddenly jerked forward. Tim let out a small shriek and scrambled to his feet, rushing to the safety of the school building.

"Okay, now we can go." Dean stated, snatching Sam's backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Sam said, following him to the car.

Dean just grinned and climbed into the passenger seat, tossing the bag into the back. Sam opened the door and took one last look at the school. Brian waved from the steps and Sam returned the gesture with a smile, before getting into his seat. Off to a new town with a new school … and hopefully, no goth club.

_"You have made people listen. You have made people care, and you have taught us that whether we are poor or prosperous, we have only one world to share. You have taught young people that they do have the power to change the world." _

_~Kofi Annan_

_

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through all the ups, downs, and freakishly long waits.

I hope you join me for my other stories. :)


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